1909. 
PRUNING A PEACH TREE. 
One of our readers in Maryland has sent us a picture 
of his young peach tree, see Fig. 595. lie says this tree was 
set in December, 1908. In the Spring of 1909 he cut 
this tree knee-high, and all the growth seen in the picture 
was made this season. How would you trim this tree 
next Spring—that is, how much would you cut it back? 
This man has been advised to cut the tree so as to 
leave the four limbs about one foot long and cut off 
everything else. If the tree were yours and you wanted 
to make the most of it, what would you do to it in the 
way of pruning? 
The tree certainly made a strong, fine growth for 
one year, and while it is hard to tell just where to cut 
a tree without going all around it, I should from the 
picture take off that lower lopping branch towards 
the man’s knee, then shear the entire top to about a 
level with the man’s elbow; would prefer to cut a little 
lower rather than any higher. Then, 
of course, cut out whatever crowding 
branches there are, leaving as evenly 
balanced head as possible. The objec¬ 
tion to cutting much lower is that with 
such a vigorous tree as this it would 
stimulate a lot of new shoots that 
would have to be cut out next year, 
unless one would go in and rub them 
off when they first got started in the 
Spring. But for general orchard hand¬ 
ling on a large scale, about as I have 
indicated is as we do it, both here and 
in Georgia. J. H. hale. 
Connecticut. 
What we would do in the way of 
pruning two-year-old peach trees if we 
were raising fruit in Maryland, would 
probably differ widely in detail from 
the way we do trim them in Northern 
New Jersey. There are, however, cer¬ 
tain general principles along these lines 
that may be safely touched upon, as 
they are plainly applicable in all peach 
growing sections. It is universally ad¬ 
mitted that a peach tree that is left 
without any trimming whatever, is about as valueless 
as a young colt that has never been broken to saddle 
or harness. It follows therefore that pruning is a 
necessity, the only question being how shall this be 
done, and to what extent shall it be carried. Our 
views, briefly stated, are as follows: First, all things 
considered, Spring is the best time to prune, and this 
leaves just one double-headed point in pruning to be 
considered, the details of which must be worked out 
in harmony with existing conditions. Trees should 
be low-headed and open-headed. 1 welve to 14 feet 
is high enough. Reasons are obvious. Higher trees 
are more difficult to pick, and are more exposed to 
severe winds and consequent damage to tree and fruit. 
Start all branches at least three feet from the ground, 
and prune each year from one-third to one-half of the 
previous year’s growth; or as Mr. Hale once expressed 
it, run a lawn mower over the tops of your trees 
every Spring. Branches less than three feet from 
the ground not only make cultivation difficult, but the 
frliit will always be inferior in size, flavor and color, 
because of the lack of sun-kissing, which is so essen¬ 
tial to all fruits, but preeminently so to the peach. 
This brings us to our second point in the double- 
headed proposition, viz., the open head. Thick heads 
are no more wanted in peach raising than they are in 
the human family. Clear open heads are by far better 
in either case, and there is no difficulty in having them 
in the peach orchard. Would it were so in the other 
case! How best to prune to let in the sunlight must 
be determined wholly by the one who has charge of 
this most important work, since conditions are so 
various. The best orchard we ever raised started with 
three branches, although we are now inclined to think 
four, or even more branches are better, and that these 
should be started one above the other from every side 
of the tree, so as to form a" symmetrical head, and at 
the same time prevent the splitting down of the 
branches when heavily laden with fruit. Whether this 
is, or is not the best method of pruning, it is the 
method we are following, and has thus far proved 
fairly satisfactory and remunerative. 
New Jersey. . Stackhouse & son. 
The Marylander with the one-year-old peach tree 
may make a mistake if he trims back his peach tree 
at all. My opinion is that he will get peaches sooner 
if he does not trim it back, but simply removes enough 
of the wood to allow plenty of room for 1910 growth. 
I do not believe in shortening the limbs before the 
tree comes into bearing, but I do believe in selecting 
the limbs that are to form the tree, and trim so as to 
give them prominence and roorq to grow. I prefer 
to trim trees as individual trees. If I found a peach 
tree that was weak-rooted, stem slender and evidently 
not able to support the next year’s growth I would 
take off nearly everything except limbs that were to 
form the tree, and would shorten main limbs. 
Delaware. sam’l h. derby. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The older I get the less I feel I know about trim¬ 
ming a tree. I think this man's advice to cut off all 
the limbs except four and leave them about a foot 
long is pretty nearly right, except that they could be 
left IS inches or two feet instead of one foot. I 
would not advise more than four limbs to make the 
framework of the tree. d. m. wertz. 
Pennsylvania. 
We have always practiced and believe in pretty 
severe pruning for thrifty one-year-old trees, and less 
cutting back as the tree grows older. In regard to 
the tree in question we should cut back the main 
branches to 15 to 18 inches, and cut out practically all 
the small side branches; possibly leave a bud on one 
if we felt we needed a limb there; in fact trim to 
make of next season’s growth as perfect a top as 
possible. Here our trees lean towards the east, as 
our Summer winds are westerly, some slightly, others 
more so according to exposure. We have to boar 
that fact in mind, and trim some trees more severely 
on the east side so as to force a better growth on 
the other side. If the left side of tree (in picture) 
receives the prevailing winds we should cut back the 
side next the man pretty hard, more so than the other; 
anyway that side needs the hardest trimming. A man 
must have some idea how a tree grows to do practical 
trimming, and I doubt if any two men would trim it 
exactly alike; yet in a year or two there would be 
little or no difference in the value of the tree if fairly 
well done. I have seen some well-shaped and profit¬ 
able trees where little or no pruning was done. With¬ 
out doubt a tree will stand closer pruning in Mary¬ 
land than in a section near the northern limit of peach 
culture. If your inquirer has many trees to trim I 
would advise him to spend a day among the most 
HOW SHALL THIS BE PRUNED? Fig. 595. 
successful growers in his section, and sec how they 
do it. Their methods may not all be alike, but it is 
a pretty dull scholar who cannot pick up ideas enough 
to more than pay the cost. h. o. mead. 
Massachusetts. 
The tree has made too much growth for one season, 
and ought to have been trimmed and cut back in the 
last part of July. Next Spring I would trim to three 
or four limbs, and cut them back about one-half of 
last year’s growth; that will leave three or four 
branches about two feet long. This will make it 
necessary some time in July, to go over them, and take 
out the surplus branches; wherever these main limbs 
1103 
have been cut off, a lot of new limbs will start up 
near the end, where they had been cut off. Trim these 
off to one or two. The peach tree when left too 
much to itself is inclined to be more of a bush than 
a tree. I know of no tree that will stand so much 
pruning and be a benefit to it. But if you want 
peaches, do not let your trees form the wood-making 
habit while young. Keep them growing slowly, shape 
them while young and do not allow them to get top- 
heavy. When your tree is three or four years old get 
after them with bone and potash, but don’t stop prun¬ 
ing. Take out all limbs that run too closely parallel, 
all limbs that we call cross limbs, limbs that start in 
one side of tree and run back through the tree take 
out, V-shaped crotches up to the very top of tree. 
They will split, sooner or later, and spoil the whole 
limb. Keep tree open in center, and 
keep it balanced. Some people are so 
afraid they will cut off a few buds, 
that they never have anything but 
small peaches, and these trees do not 
seem to last as long as those of the 
man who trims, and trims hard. Our 
hardest primer here, is our most suc¬ 
cessful peach grower. 
New Jersey. peter v. drake. 
UNPROFITABLE APPLE DEAL. 
Having been a reader of 1 The R. 
N.-Y. for more than 40 years, and es¬ 
teeming it as the best journal of its 
class, I wish for the benefit of my fel¬ 
low farmers to give an account of a 
transaction that did not prove profita¬ 
ble. I picked 225 bushels of Winter 
apples for a neighbor, and not finding 
a market for them he asked me if I 
would buy them and ship to the mar¬ 
ket, as I had some experience in the 
business some years ago. I noticed 
that the quotations were high for 
good fruit, and finally offered him 60 cents per 
bushel, provided he would allow me to sort and pack 
them according to the rules of the New York markets. 
I purchased new double-head barrels, and selected and 
packed 39 barrels, or 117 bushels. The barrels cost 
35 cents each, and labor, 15 cents; having rejected 
108 bushels as they came from the trees, making them 
as I believe first class except in size of the Greenings 
and Fall Pippins. The varieties were mostly Bald¬ 
win, Spy, King and Greening. I shipped them 
on November 17, to a commission dealer who adver¬ 
tises in The R. N.-Y.. I received returns in due time. 
The fruit was sold at $2.50 less freight and commis¬ 
sion ; the account rendered being 39 barrels at $2.50. 
$97.50; freight $14.25, cartage $2.73, $16.98; commis¬ 
sion, 10 per cent, $9.75, $26.73; check to balance, 
$70.77. The fruit cost me $1.S0 per barrel which it 
was worth at home; new double-head barrels 35 cents, 
packing 15 cents, freight 48)4 cents, commission 25 
cents, $3.03; making a net loss of 53 cents per barrel, 
or a total of $20.67. 
The question that naturally concerns the farmer 
is what are first-class apples worth at the farm when 
the lowest prices quoted in the city are $2 to $2.50, 
which is the price usually settled for by the commis¬ 
sion houses. It is evident that 40 cents per bushel 
would not leave the shipper any margin, and it is also 
very clear to me that $9.75 for selling 39 barrels of 
apples is 25 cents per barrel, which would amount to 
$3 per day for three days’ labor and carfare besides. 
Still I would not wish to injure this particular house, 
because they undoubtedly did as well by me as any 
other parties would have, and it may be some satis¬ 
faction to save some other farmers from loss. 
Delaware Co., N. Y. a. p. c. 
R. N.-Y.—At the time of this shipment apples were 
quoted in New York at from $2 to $3.50. A few very 
choice apples brought more. It seems that some of 
these apples were small. The commission man named 
has a good reputation, though he does not make a 
specialty of handling fruit. We believe he got all he 
could for this lot of apples. The consumer no doubt 
paid at least $4 per barrel—probably more. As our 
friend got an average of $1.81 net he received about 
40 cents of the consumer’s dollar. It will be small 
satisfaction to realize that this is more than the aver¬ 
age, when he lost 53 cents on every barrel. You will 
see that he got one cent per barrel more than he paid, 
while the barrel cost 35 cents and the labor 15. It 
would require a philosopher to conclude that the 
exercise was worth the money, and that it is a great 
pleasure to give business to the barrel man. A. P. C. 
paid too much for the apples. Fie should have figured, 
before he bought, on the cost of transportation and 
commission. He would then have seen that the apples 
would have to bring at least $3.25 in order to cover 
his trade with profit. The chances were nine in 10 
that a small lot of fruit sent in this way would not 
bring any such price. As business is now conducted 
we doubt if anyone will nay $2 a barrel in the orchard 
unless he can put them into storage and hold them for 
several months as a speculation. This might be pos¬ 
sible in a section where fruit growing is a leading 
industry, and where there are plenty of apples. A. P. 
C. lives in a place where orchards are small and 
there is no particular reputation for fruit growing. 
All these things must be considered in shipping apples 
to New York. As a rule the market is better in 
nearby towns and cities for small lots. 
A SOUTHERN CORNFIELD WITH STALKS TOPPED, 
