THE PEACH. 



171 



During summer we promote as vigorously as pos- 

 sible the growth of the terminal shoot, and use the 

 necessary means to transform the other shoots into 

 fruit-branches. 



The disbudding, green pruning, pinching, nailing up 

 in summer, and the rest are all performed as directed 

 for other forms of peach trees. In the following spring 

 each of the young trees resembles the figure 152. 



At the second pruning we take off about one-third 

 of the entire length, cutting always above a front bud 

 (A, fig. 152). The fruit-branches must be pruned and 

 nailed up for the winter, as described for other forms. 

 We continue to extend the stem from year to year, 

 and to furnish its sides with fruit-branches only, 

 keeping the degree of inclination before described. 

 When they have attained two-thirds of their height, 

 we bend them to an angle of 45 degrees. If they 

 were inclined to this extent at once, it would stimulate 

 too powerfully the growth of the lower shoots to the 

 injury of the terminal one. When the stems have 

 attained the height of the wall, the espalier is ter- 

 minated, and the extremities must be treated in the 

 manner directed for other peach trees that are com- 

 pletely formed. 



No vacant space should be allowed upon the wall 

 from one end of the stems to the other. This kind of 

 espalier is commenced and terminated, as shown fig. 

 150, the same as the pear trees (pp. 110-12), and the 

 other directions for pears in simple oblique cordon also 

 apply to peaches. The advantages of this method of 

 growing are as great in one case as in the other. 



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