1 Dec., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 549 
fresh shoots form and the upper ones are allowed to grow, making two limbs or 
a fresh fork where you would otherwise have had a long rod, and, in addition to 
_ this, every bud right down the lower part of your main wood is filled and 
strengthened so as to come in for future fruitbearing. The idea is to get your 
tree not only shaped, but established in strength and balance, step by step, 
_ from the ground up. 
One serious difficulty has to be contended with at Westbrook as on nearly 
the whole of the Downs country—namely, the effect on the trees of the constant 
| summer winds blowing from the east. 
Many people would not readily believe what this means, but to those 
dealing with the trees it means constant effort in pruning to keep your tree 
worked back against the wind. « 
With trees of a certain habit of growth, this is almost impossible. 
This is one great argument in favour of short, sturdy trunks as against 
| long-legged or high-grown trees. 
Our first illustration (1 and 2) gives a good example of a French prune, both 
before pruning and after. There are five rows of these trees in this orchard, 
_ planted with a view to prove their commercial value here. 
They have made good substantial growth, and, taken altogether, are a very 
pretty lot of trees. 
In the unpruned tree may be noticed last year’s winter pruning, and above 
that, near the top, the light forks formed by the summer pruning. Then note 
the way the buds show up all down the wood. It is not always desirable to 
_ ‘prune in the winter above the previous summer work ; you may oftentimes do 
_ well to go right below that, but you have to consider the general habit and 
_ tendency of your tree, the question of the stiffness or elasticity of the wood as 
_ the case may be, and the probable effect of the wind on both tree and fruit. 
Once trees settle down to steady bearing, their rank growth is checked, 
and then much of the summer work is unnecessary, for by that time you should 
have a well formed and balanced tree. 
One thing may be said here—that is, that in the pictures some of the 
trees may appear to some people to be very thickly wooded. That is due simply 
to the fact that you are looking right through the whole depth of the tree. If 
| you could get to one side, you would find quite a different arrangement of the 
wood presented to view. 
Nos. 8 and 4 represent a plum, “ Reine Claude de Bavay,” of very fine 
solid growth, and one of a row which promises a full crop this season. Last 
year’s work is well defined in the unpruned tree, and in the pruned illustration 
will be noticed the method of reduction of wood. 
The summer pruning has not been all cut away, but reduced by taking off 
| one of the forks and cutting back the other. Nos. 5 and 6 show a very pretty 
| pom of the Chickasaw family, presenting a different habit of growth from the 
last. There is a fair list of this class of plum in the orchard, great bearers, and 
| great growers in their own peculiar way, and they stand a considerable amount 
_ of cutting, as a rule, in the winter. 
Tt will be noticed that a fair amount of wood has come out of this tree. 
Nos. 7 and 8 bring us to the peaches. 
|, These trees, like all their orchard mates, had a rather hard time last year 
| in the early half of the season, owing to the complete absence of rain; but in 
| the autumn, when the rain came, they tried to make up for lost time, and, 
| by the look of No. 7, succeeded pretty well. 
| This tree was planted in 1897, and, although not by any means the largest 
| peach-tree we have, is a fair average sample of what our peach-trees have done 
| in the time. ‘ 
I would like to say here that the bulk of the Downs country can grow 
_as fine a peach as can be produced anywhere—a fruit of high commercial 
_ value, and one that, properly produced, would pay handsomely ; but the selec- 
_ tion of varieties is necessary, as well as good, sound cultivation and careful 
