366 On the proper Mode of pruning the Peach Tree. 



Every tree prepares in the summer and autumn many 

 minute leaves, which expand and form the early foliage of 

 the following spring, and the buds in the axillae of these 

 leaves are necessarily (consistent with the preceding state- 

 ments,) those best calculated, in cold and unfavourable 

 situations and seasons, to generate well organized and vigo- 

 rous blossoms ; and in such situations, I have often wit- 

 nessed the advantage of preserving as many as practicable 

 of these, by deviating from the ordinary mode of pruning 

 the Peach tree. Instead of taking off so large a portion of 

 the young shoots, and training in a few only, to a consi- 

 derable length, as is usually done, and as I should myself 

 do to a great extent, in the vicinity of London, and in every 

 favourable situation, I preserve a large number of the young 

 shoots, which are emitted in a proper direction in early 

 spring by the yearling wood, shortening each where neces- 

 sary, by pinching off the minute succulent points, generally 

 to the length of one or two inches. Spurs which lie close 

 to the wall are thus made, upon which numerous blossom 

 buds form very early in the ensuing summer; and upon 

 such, after the last most unfavourable season, and in a 

 situation so high and cold that the Peach tree, in the most 

 favourable seasons, had usually produced only a few feeble 

 blossoms, I observed as strong and vigorous blossoms in the 

 present spring, as I have usually seen in the best seasons 

 and situations ; and I am quite confident that if the Peach 

 trees, in the gardens round the metropolis had been pruned 

 in the manner above described, in the last season, an abun- 

 dant and vigorous blossom would have appeared in the 

 present spring. I do not, however, mean to recommend 



