branches leaving an average ot «: to 5 branches or laterals on the 
head of the tree. 
If trimming the branches is necessary to give the tree a neat, 
well-balanced frame, these laterals shall only be shortened in 
proper proportions using sound judgment, when the buds begin 
to swell. 
PRUNING NUTS - QUINCES 
These varieties require no pruning at time of their planting. 
PRUNING PEACHES AND NECTARINES 
There is a general opinion among the public that the peach 
tree is very short lived and therefore, not worthwhile planting. 
This is decidedly wrong. The peach and nectarine trees are some 
of the most rapid growing trees and reach their ultimate height 
within 4 to 5 years if unchecked. 
Now, since peaches and nectarines only grow their fruit on 
wood that has been grown the previous year, if the tree has not 
the chance to grow young wood every year, it reaches its natural 
height within 4 to 5 years, and the tree dies or withers away in 
such a short time. 
It is absolutely essential to prune the trees radically every 
spring in order to obtain the necessary young wood. If this prun- 
ing is applied correctly, a peach tree can live from 18 to 30 years 
and produce a full crop of large fine fruit every year. Such a 
pruning is neither complicated nor difficult to apply on dwarf 
peach or nectarine trees. It takes a courageous man to prune a 
peach tree properly. 
The first step, which is most important, must be applied to 
all peach and nectarine fruit trees, regardless if they are dwarf 
or not, at time of planting. A one year old tree must be pruned 
back radically to about 18 to 24 inches above the graft depending 
upon whether a low or high trunk is desired. 
On 2 or 3 year old trees, no branches should remain that are 
higher than 2 or 3 feet from the ground. Young side branches 
that have been grown the previous vear, should be reduced from 
8 to 15 inches. A peach or nectarine tree, pruned in this manner, 
will develop for this coming spring, the same amount of branches 
and length of the branches that were cut away. It is on this young 
wood that you will grow fruit buds for the following season. 
Bearing peach trees are pruned to keep the centers of the 
trees open and induce new shoots to grow on the main branches. 
In the pruning process, the branches are shortened by cutting 
them off above outward-growing branches which will carry on. 
Every few years, peach trees should be given heavier pruning 
by removing sizable inside branches near the tops of the trees. 
The best time to prune is after the fruit has set and attained the 
size of a full grown cherry. One cannot harm a peach or nectarine 
tree, regardless of how severely it is pruned back. 
The ground must be well-drained and kept clean and mellow. 
Give them an occasional dressing of wood ashes. Placed around 
the body of the tree is sure protection against invasion of the 
peach borer. 
Young trees should be well mulched every spring. If a 
heavy mulch is placed about the trees after the ground is frozen, 
it will retard the growth in early spring, and often insure a crop 
of fruit. Keep the tree in good shape and you will have splendid 
returns. 
Whenever peach and nectarine trees are set out in the fall, 
the soil should be hilled up around the trunks at planting time 
to be removed in spring. 
[47] 
