MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, &c. 33 



bud ; you fhould always cut at fuch double buds ; as from be- 

 tween them come out the fhoots that produce the fruit for 

 next year. 



If you obferve the above rules, you cannot miftake in 

 pruning your Peaches. [See Plate III. Fig. 2.] 



When the trees come into a bearing ftate, you may keep 

 them in a flouriihing one by proper management, and atten- 

 tion to the Summer pruning. I have often topped the ftrong 

 fhoots twice in the courfe of the Summer, before I could get 

 them to produce fine kind bearing wood. I have often had 

 jfhoots that grew, in the courfe of one Summer, upwards of 

 fix feet in length, and as thick as my thumb. When fuch 

 fhoots as thefe are laid in near their full length, the lower 

 part of the wall will be left naked [See the Plate, Fig. 1.] ; 

 befides, thefe ftrong fhoots exhauft the tree of its ftrength, 

 and never produce good wood when you neglect to top them 

 in Summer. I would recommend to cut out fuch fhoots when 

 the trees are pruned in the Spring, and to leave only the fine 

 kind bearing wood (which you may know by two fmall leaves 

 where the flower-buds will be in the following year ; the 

 ftrong fhoots have only one leaf bud at each eye) ; always re- 

 membering to lay the branches as horizontally as you can, 

 which will check the growth of the fhoot, and make the wood 

 much finer, and fit for bearing the fucceeding year. You 

 fhould always rub off all the ufelefs fide- fhoots that cannot be 

 nailed in againft the wall, leaving only the beft, and laying 

 them in about three inches apart. Be very particular to pick 

 off all the fide- fhoots that come out near the tops of the 

 branches ; which, if left, would weaken the fruit-bearing 

 branches for next year. This fhould be done as foon as you 

 can lay hold of thefe fhoots with your finger and thumb : if 

 you fufFer them to grow ftrong, they will hurt the fruit- 

 bearing fhoot. 



F Of 



