at the top of the tree. In practice, all other things being equal, there is little difficulty experienced in thus furnishing the lower portions of the tree with bearing wood. All cutting should be effected with a sharp thin knife; and whenever it becomes necessary to remove an old limb, the wound should be painted solidly over with white paint.

I have already referred to what is termed Seymour's system of training, from its having been first adopted at Carlton Hall, in Yorkshire, by a gardener of that name. By this system a tree of great regularity and neatness is formed. It differs from the fan system of training in there being no lateral growths allowed on the lower sides of the leading branches. Fig. 17 will illustrate this mode of training. "The first step in starting a newly-planted maiden tree upon Seymour's system is to head the plant down to three eyes, each of which eyes will produce a shoot in summer: at

pruning-time head down the centre shoot of these to three eyes, to produce in the following summer three more shoots as before, leaving the side shoots always at full length. In spring all the buds on the lower sides of these side branches, and these from 9 to 12

inches asunder, are rubbed off, leaving those only which proceed from the upper side of the branch. When the young wood has extended to the length of 5 or 6 inches it is stopped, but the leading branches are not interfered with. Every year will produce a side shoot on each side of the tree, and the laterals that proceed from them at the distance we have stated, are at first laid in between them, but the following spring these are removed from the wall and trained up in the main side branches. By the autumn of the third year the number of laterals will be doubled on the two side branches first laid in, as a new lateral is sure to spring from the base of the one laid in the previous season, as well as one from its point. As to winter pruning in the fourth year, all the laterals of two years' growth, and which have already produced a crop of fruit, are to be removed entirely, and those of the previous summer's formation are to be unfastened from the wall and laid upon the main leading side branches in the place of those cut out." 1

My objection to this otherwise neat and very systematic mode of training is, in the first place, that it takes a much longer time to cover a given space of trellis or wall than it requires to do so on the fan system, when the needless and objectionable closecutting-back system is not adhered to. Then, again, when any of the leading branches give way—no uncommon thing in peach-trees-a great gap in the tree is created, which it takes longer to make up than when a gap takes place in fan training.

The time for pruning the peach under glass must be regulated by the time that forcing is commenced.

1 Book of the Garden.

Generally speaking, it is best to defer pruning till the first signs of the swelling of the buds, especially in the case of the inexperienced, as then wood-buds and fruit-buds are easily distinguished. This of course refers to the shortening back of all young wood that requires it.

DISBUDDING, OR SUMMER PRUNING.

What is known by the term "disbudding" the peach, consists of the removal of all the buds while in a small state that are not required to grow into shoots, to furnish fruit-bearing wood for the following year. This operation should be begun early, as soon as the buds have started. They should not all be removed at once, but at three different intervals of time. At the first disbudding remove those which are termed by gardeners fore-right buds-that is, those that are on the front side of the shoots and that would grow at a right angle from the trellis-and those which are situated on the opposite side of the shoot, thus leaving those that are right and left. In about twelve or fourteen days after this, about the half of those left should be removed at intervals along the shoot, always leaving the best-looking two buds near the base. The trees should be examined and finally disbudded in about a week after, removing all except the most promising bud near the base, which is to form the chief growth for next year's fruiting. On short stubby growths this bottom bud and the terminal one will be enough to leave. On longer shoots one or two intermediate ones may be left if there is room enough to tie them in without crowding the tree. But always give the preference to the lowest-placed buds.

In removing the last of the superfluous buds, when they have got stronger than those taken off at the first and second disbuddings, a thin sharp knife should be used, as it makes a less and cleaner wound than when they are detached by the hand. The leading shoot, if not required to furnish the tree as in the case of young trees, should be stopped when it has grown one foot; but allow the lateral growths for next year's fruiting to grow their full length, and keep them regularly tied to the trellis as they grow-using for this purpose soft matting-taking care not to tie too tightly, but leaving room sufficient for the wood to swell.

The common error of tying in too many young growths should be avoided, as one of the greatest evils in peach-culture. It crowds the tree with wood that is not required, and prevents the sun and air from acting properly on the foliage, and the result is weak, unripened, and unfruitful wood. Whenever any given growth shows that it is going to grow much stronger than the rest, it should either be cut out altogether, or stopped, and restopped if necessary, to prevent its monopolising the sap that should go to the other parts of the tree.

After the fruit are all gathered look carefully over the trees, and untie and cut out at once those shoots from which the fruit have been gathered, and which are not necessary for another year. This gives more room to the young wood required for the ensuing crop, and concentrates the energies of the tree on their maturation. It is not easy nor necessary thus to cut out all the wood that requires to be removed; but the lessening of it leaves but little to do at the winter or early spring pruning, as the case may be, and it lets

more air and light at the foliage and buds of the shoots that are left to furnish the next crop.

THINNING THE FRUIT.

All peach-trees that are vigorous and the wood of which has been well ripened, generally set a great many more fruit than are required, and therefore have to be thinned off. This operation should not be completed all at once, but gradually, and not finally till the fruit are stoned. As soon as the fruit have swollen sufficiently to burst and throw off their flowers, the first thinning should take place. Where the fruit have set in clusters of twos and threes, remove them all but the best-formed and largest fruit, those that are placed on the under sides of the shoots, and those that are very near to the wires, and that would not get room to swell if left. When the fruit have attained the size of marbles, a second thinning should take place, removing all the smallest ones, and those that are nearest the top and the bottom parts of the bearing shoot-leaving the largest about the middle of them. Although I have never experienced very much. dropping of the fruit in the process of stoning, it is always best to leave considerably more at the second thinning to be removed after they have completed the formation of the stones. Then the final thinning should take place. The weight of crop must be regulated by several considerations: if the trees are young and show a tendency to make too strong a growth, then it is best to crop rather heavily, say a fruit to every 6 or 7 square inches of surface. The ratio of cropping should be graduated according to the vigour of the trees. Those which have covered a L