THE PEACH. 
593 
of the peach tree penetrate farther, and are, mostly, out of the 
reach of serious injury hy the plough. Instead of losing by 
being opened and exposed to the air, the heavier soil gains 
greatly in value by the very act of rendering it more friable, 
while at the same time it has naturally sufficient heart to bear 
judicious cropping with advantage, rather than injury, to the 
trees. The growth and luxuriance of an orchard in strong land, 
kept under tillage, is surprisingly greater than the same allowed 
to remain in sod. The difference in treatment, therefore, should 
alw ays adapt itself to the nature of the soil. In ordinary cases, 
the duration of peach orchards in the light sandy soil is rarely 
more than three years in a bearing state. In a stronger soil, 
with proper attention to the shortening system of pruning, it 
may be prolonged to tw r enty or more years. 
Pruning. It has always been the prevailing doctrine in this 
country that the peach requires no pruning. It has been allow- 
ed to grow, to bear heavy crops, and to die, pretty much in its 
own way. This is very well for a tree in its native climate, 
and in a wild state ; but it must be remembered that the peach 
comes from a warmer country than ours, and that our peaches 
of the present day are artificial varieties. They owe their origin 
to artificial means, and require therefore a system of culture to 
correspond. 
In short, we view this absence of all due care in the manage- 
ment of the peach tree, after it comes into bearing , as the prin- 
cipal original cause of its present short duration, and the 
disease which preys upon it in many of the older parts of the 
country. We therefore earnestly desire the attention of peach 
growers to our brief hints upon a regular system of pruning this 
valuable tree. Of course we speak now of common standard 
trees, in the orchard or garden. 
A peach tree, left to itself after being planted, usually comes 
into bearing the third or fourth year, and has a well-shaped, 
rounded head, full of small bearing branches, and well garnish- 
ed with leaves. It must be borne in mind that the fruit is only 
borne on the young shoots 
of the previous summer’s 
growth. In a young tree 
these are properly distributed 
throughout. But in a cou- 
ple of seasons, the tree be- 
ing left to itself, the growth 
being mostly produced at the 
ends of the principal branch- 
es, the young shoots in the 
interior of the head of the 
tree die out. The conse- A peach tree without pruning, as com 
quence is, that in a short monly seen. 
