94 THE MODERN PEACH PRUNER. 



only ten inches apart (and here let me observe 

 that six inches would be better), therefore, without 

 a given amount of wall space we can obtain a 

 double amount of crop. Lastly, there are few or 

 no amputations of important branches, and this 

 alone constitutes an appreciable gain, even to 

 suppress 6 gourmands' (gross shoots of class 4), or 

 to shorten extensions where needed. Every am- 

 putation, however well performed, causes a pertur- 

 bation in the economy of the tree. Why not 

 anticipate the causes which necessitate amputations, 

 rather than have the merit of curing them ? Be- 

 sides this, even clever gardeners cannot always 

 succeed in remedying the evil effects of wounds on 

 the tree/' 



The above are the chief reasons given by M. 

 Grin for adopting very close pruning or summer- 

 stopping of the shoots. In fact there seems no 

 reason whatever why a well-furnished main branch 

 should ever be shortened at all. If the shoots 

 are kept regularly and closely summer-pruned, 

 the prolongations of the branches may, with the 

 exception of equalising them, be left to them- 

 selves. How simple would Peach-pruning be- 

 come under these new forms ! Plant the tree 

 carefully in a well-chosen and well-drained spot, 

 allow it to grow, only balancing it, keep the 

 summer wood short, thin out in winter a little; 



