1876 . ] 
THE CULTURE OF WALL-FRUITS.-CHAPTER VII. 
231 
must be trained out, as near the top as possible ; and bearing in mind the tendency 
common to all fruit-trees to develope the strongest growth in the centre, these 
two shoots must have particular attention ; as long, therefore, as they continue to 
develope fruitful bearing wood—that is, wood which forms a group of three buds at 
the base of each leaf—they may be trained in, but as soon as they begin to throw out 
laterals, stop them at once at the lowest lateral, and train that onward^ for the 
absorption of the sap, so as to prevent the starting of the lower buds. Occasion¬ 
ally the laterals in healthy and vigorous trees begin to develope very early, in 
which case it is advisable to shorten at once to the lowest lateral, and train it on 
to form the bearing-shoot. 
Three-Year-Old Trained Dwarf Peach Tree. 
The wood which is formed at this stage should be capable of carrying a little 
fruit the following season, but if the growth is very strong and vigorous it will 
most likely throw it off, owing to the superabundance of sap. This may be 
avoided, and a salutary check given, inducing a fruitful habit of growth, by 
cutting off a portion of the supplies in the following manner:—Describe a 
half-circle from the centre stem having a radius of 2 ft., outside of which take 
out a spade’s depth and width of soil, and then with a long draining-tool (such as 
is used to take out the lowest spit of drains, the blade of which is about 20 in. in 
length, 4 in. wide, well steeled and sharpened at the bottom, and 6 in. wide at 
the top, where the handle is inserted), take out another portion of the trench to 
the full depth of the tool, so as to make sure of having gone below all the roots, 
leaving none outside the radius. If this is done at the end of September or early 
in October, it will have a most beneficial effect, by producing a check so gentle as 
not to interfere with the growth the following season, but yet enabling the tree 
to carry a few fruits, with advantage both to the owner and to itself, because, 
after all, fruit is the best pruner, and fruit-bearing the best means of curbing 
