110 



THE MODERN PEACH PRUNER. 



before arresting its progress. By this means the 

 operation is not done all at one time, which might 

 otherwise produce too abrupt a check in the circu- 

 lation of the tree, and cause it to lose too much 

 sap, thereby inducing subsequent gumming. 



By the time these shoots are thus stopped they 

 will have attained a certain woody firmness, and 

 we may expect that some of the eyes situated at 

 the base of the shoots will become well formed. 

 By suspending the vegetation, and concentrating 

 the action of the summer sap on these eyes, " either 

 the rudiments of flower-buds or May clusters may 

 be constituted, but no premature laterals be thrown 

 out." 



Soon after this stopping, a second growth is made 

 from the extreme bud of the shoot. This new 

 growth is allowed to make 8 inches of growth (this 

 takes us to about the end of June), then, if at this 

 time, the eyes at the base are well constituted, the 

 second or new growth is cut back to about half 

 way. 



At the winter pruning, the shoot is cut down to 

 the second group of triple buds from the base. 

 The next season these groups will bear, and the 

 effect of this winter close pruning is, that the latent 

 buds at the insertion of the shoot develope them- 

 selves, and thus form succession shoots. That 

 which has borne is now cut out, and afresh short 



