SHOUT PINCHING SYSTEM APPLIED TO THE PEACH. 371 



ing in of tlie slioot. He now depends chiefly on pinching 

 the stipulary leaves^ as shown at A. This is the "best 

 feature of the system^ and chiefly in dealing with the little 

 lateral bourgeons anticipes that sometimes push forth on 

 the current year's wood. By pinching the leaves of these 

 little buds just when they push,, as shown in the figure, 

 the development of the shoot is not interfered with ; but a 

 sufficient check is given to cause the eyes near the base to 

 fill and become fruit buds, as shown at A, Fig. 171. This 

 not done, the young shoot pushes away, and is often quite 

 naked of buds at its base. 



To think of adopting the system of Grin in its purity 

 would be folly. As to training Peach cordons on this 



Fig. 170. 



Portion of Shoot of Peach Tree, showing the pinching of the 

 stipulary leaves. 



principle, it is simply nonsense ; as well might we think of 

 repressing the flow of the tide as hope to succeed with 

 trees confined to a single stem, and pinched in quite close. 

 It is by no means a success even where large forms are 

 adopted; but with the cordon there is no outlet. The 

 cordons trained after this method in the public garden at 

 Chartres must have exhausted the patience of the cultivator, 

 for their shoots had started right away from the wall, and 

 grown as much as eighteen inches long ! 



This,'' said I, " will never do for England." " Nor 



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