S48 



THE PRACTICAL GARDE^JER. 



[Jan. 



and to obtain a regular supply of bem-ing wood. Wliere a 

 tree abounds with middling-sized well-ripened shoots, having 

 a bold wood-bud at their point, as it often happens on such, 

 that there will be a wood-bud at the point, and only one or 

 two at the base of the shoot, the intermediate ones being all 

 flower-buds, then, in this case, they should be laid in at full 

 length. To cut in the middle of such shoots would be useless, 

 as no bud would push, except that at the bottom ; and although 

 the fruit-buds might blossom, and even set their fmit, they 

 will ultimately all M\ off for want of a leading shoot to draw 

 nourishment for their support. In this pruning, clear the tree 

 of all redundant, irregular, and improper shoots, remove or 

 reduce some part of the former bearers of the preceding years, 

 cutting the most naked quite away, and others down to the 

 most eligible younger branch, or well-placed shoot ; but this 

 should be done carefully, not to cut too much out at once, 

 but to cut a portion annually. Also all dead or diseased shoots 

 should be cleared away. Peaches will sometimes produce fruit 

 upon spurs ; and in cold late situations, Mr. Knight has re- 

 commended the adoption of them to a certain latitude. " In- 

 stead," he says, " of taking off so large a portion of young 

 shoots, and training in a few only to a considerable length, as 

 is usually done, and as I should myself do, to a great extent, 

 in the vicinity of London, and in every favorable 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 necessary, 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 sum- 

 mer, and upon which, after the last most unfavorable season, 

 and in a situation so high and cold that the peach-trees, in 

 the most favorable 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 sea- 

 sons and situations ; and I am quite confident, tliat if the peach- 

 trees in the gardens round the metropolis, had been pruned 

 in the manner above described in the last season, an abundant 

 and vigorous blossom would have appeared in the present 



