73 
296 Pruning and special details. By referring to page 72 of 
the Auctarium, it will be seen that the pruning of fruit trees in 
general was thrown into two sections, termed Autumn and 
Spring pruning. This classification, although not absolutely 
necessary, was made in order to simplify the subject. It will 
now be well to pursue the original order of the matter, by 
treating the subjects in succession, as they stand in the Aucta- 
rium, commencing at page 33. 
Peach and Nectarine. A thorough ripening of the wood, 
is the prime object in Peach culture. With this and a healthy 
root action, |)runing becomes reduced to a very simple process; 
without it, no system however elaborately carried out, can long 
be serviceable. When the young maiden tree is procured from 
the nursery, it is in general composed of only one shoot, in 
fact, having been budded, it consists of the shoot of one sea- 
son’s growth. This shoot, at planting time, must of necessity 
be shortened back, to about nine inches in length ; this is 
necessary, in order to furnish the bottom of the wall. The 
wound thus made, is of course large, as such plants are, in gen- 
eral luxuriant; and our practice is, in this case, (and indeed 
all others where wounds are made in succulent or free-growing 
shoots,) to close it up with thick paint, for no tree is more 
readily susceptible of damage from the atmosphere, than the 
Peach. 
In the first season the young tree should produce at least four 
good shoots, two on each side of the tree, and although more 
may be produced, yet it is well to encourage only this number; 
all above this may be disbudded, as soon as the four are estab- 
lished. We always form the centre of the tree last, carrying 
subordinate branches right and left into it ; or at least fre- 
quently resorting to summer stopping, if any main leaders are 
trained in a central direction, during the first two years of train- 
ing ; by the end of which period, strong side branches will have 
been formed, which cannot be subsequently robbed, by central 
shoots, to any prejudicial amount. To revert to the four young 
shoots of the first year, our practice then is to pinch off’ their 
points in a progressive order, commencing in the end of August. 
The strongest must be slopped first, and the others in due suc- 
cession, according to their strength. By these means the four 
shoots, by the autumn, will be rendered perfectly equal ; for any 
277. AUCTARIUM. 
