16 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER 
OcTOBER I, 1902. 
buds for the next season would be formed 
on the extreme ends. Besides this the 
tendency would be for some to be choked 
out of existence by stronger adjacent 
growths. The neglect of disbudding at 
this stage is doubtless one of the main 
causes of the rapid dying out of laterals 
upon the lower limbs of peach trees here. 
Pirate I.—Younc Pracu Tree, 
First Spring Growth after Planting. 
In PuatE IV, I have shown the same limb. 
“with all the shoots maked S suppressed, and 
at the later stage possibly one or two of 
those marked R would be removed. In 
examining similar shoots it will’ be noted 
that those set upon the upper ‘surface of the 
parent branch usually exhibit a tendency to 3 
PLATE II. 
Same Tree with Lower Shoots Removed 
outstrip the growth of their fellows located 
upon the sides or underneath the parent 
branch. ‘This shows the advisableness of 
retaining wherever possible the 
with equal opportunities of Lest 
nourishment andjlight. 
{ .The peach and nectarine also Reais 
shoots. 
much attention in the direction of shortening 
back towards the parent branch wood which 
has been left for fruit production but has 
failed more or less to fulfil expectations. 
On-PLaTtE V. two common instances are 
reproduced. Fig. 1 is about 15in. long’ 
More than half of its length is wholly devoid 
of fruit and partly of twigs. There is noth- 
fruit-bearing wood. The forcing of base 
buds into growth can be assisted by pinch- 
ing the growing points out of the shoots re- 
tained upon Fig. | from time to time, as 
previously explained, but under the condi- 
tions prevailing in this State such repeated 
attentions are scarcely practicable where 
Many trées are grown, 
Fig. 2 in same plate 
PLATE IIL. 
Peach Branch showing the ysual overcrowding of shrubs. 
ing to be gained by cel undue extension. It 
will be noticed that the 2 twigs marked | and 
nearest to the base, and another marked — 
-D have no fruits near them. 
‘three, marked P, each have a fruit at its 
- pase. The old. Efoot shouldbe shortened: back 
‘to Wie ont emerging at the top: ‘P, and 
The other 
shows a shoot left for. fai bearing: but it 
has failed to set any ; consequently, to pre- 
vent crowding and much pruning next 
winter, such barren shoots—uuless required 
to fill gaps in trees—should be shortened 
back to-the two buds nearest to ‘the base. 
PLATE Mi shows these two 6 shoots faneited 
Thee Lv. 
Branch in previous illustration as eispuddeds 
the barren shoot D should percnned off. This 
will usually cause base buds where the old 
shoot joins the parent branch, just below. 
It they do not grow the. 
twig 1, to grow. 
shoots marked | and}2 will be retained atithe 
“next winter pruning’to continue to furnish, 
as related above, The shortening back 
should not be performed until the fruits are 
well “set”; otherwise the forcing of growth 
from the shoots located -at their points of, 
adhesion. would most probably. cause some 
of them to.be shed. The last phrase of this, 
