The peach as a dwarf tree is almost unknown in America. It is not very often grown as a dwarf even in Europe, except when it is trained on walls or grown in houses. The species, however, is easily dwarfed and makes a good tree in various forms when well propagated. The methods by which dwarf peaches are propagated are fully described in the chapter devoted to that subject.

Peach trees growing on plum stocks and formed in vases or bushes make excellent garden trees. Naturally they should be headed low, best within three to six inches of the ground. They then make fine, regular, well balanced tops which are easily kept opened out in the desired vase form. Such trees usually come into bearing one or two years earlier than those propagated and trained in the usual way. In a country like New England where peach growing is largely a system of gambling against cold weather, and where the business largely resolves itself into a race for getting a crop before the trees freeze back, the smaller stature and the earlier bearing of the dwarf tree are obvious advantages. It has not yet been shown that this may be turned to account on a commercial scale, but there seem to be possibilities in it. In case the peach grower undertakes the method of laying down his peach trees and covering them during the winter to save them from freezing, the smaller growth of the dwarf trees would prove a decided advantage. This method of handling peach trees has proved a practical success under certain conditions.

The peach does not succeed as a cordon. The nearest that this form can be successfully approached is the U-form. The double U-form is probably even better. The fan form of training is the best of all methods of training for the peach. The tree makes wood so rapidly that considerable space has to be provided for the annual growth. The fan form being less definite in its makeup can be more readily adapted to the exigencies of rapid growth and severe cutting out.

On account of its more vigorous growth the peach demands even more drastic pruning than that already described for apples and pears. The method of managing a peach tree, however, differs in some details. There is not such a distinct establishment of leaders at the end of the shoot; and since the peach never forms fruit spurs like those of the apple, the pruning of the fruit-bearing wood is necessarily different. The best fruit buds are formed on the strong clean shoots of the current season's growth. These must be allowed to grow far enough and vigorously enough to ripen good fruit buds. If they make too much growth, however, the side buds start secondary branches and the fruiting prospects are reduced. The management of the tree must be such as to keep this growth of new wood in just the proper balance.

In order to carry out the idea thus outlined, an early spring pruning is given while the trees are dormant, and several successive prunings are administered during the growing season. At the spring pruning a considerable amount of wood is cut out from all portions of the tree, the amount thus removed being much greater than that from the pear or apple trees at the same season. The old decrepit and diseased branches are taken first for removal, and then one year old wood is cut back where necessary, so as to leave two or three buds at the base of each branch.

The first summer pruning is given about May 15th to 20th, after the growth has well begun. A vigorous tree will start more shoots than there is room for, and these are thinned out until all have sufficient space. A few of the most vigorous ones are pinched back at this time. One week to ten days later the trees are gone over again, at which time the principal pinching back is done. The shoots which are making too much growth, especially on the interior of the tree or on the main arms, are stopped. A third pruning is given about June first, and consists chiefly in removing weak shoots or those which are crowding one another, and cutting back those which are growing too far.

The peach usually requires a comparatively light soil and a warm exposure. The plum root upon which a dwarf peach is budded will usually succeed in a considerably heavier soil, and the method of budding on plum is therefore sometimes practised with the specific object of adapting the peach tree to heavier soils. Inasmuch as various kinds of plums succeed in all soils on which any crop can be grown, from light sand to heavy clay, it is not difficult to meet any reasonable requirements in this respect.

All varieties of peaches and nectarines seem to succeed equally well as dwarfs. Those varieties which are grown as dwarfs in Europe are naturally the ones which are favorites there. In this country the favorite varieties are almost altogether different and we would expect to choose such sorts as Late Crawford, Foster, Old Mixon, Belle of Georgia, Champion, Waddell, and other choice American varieties for our use.

The nectarine is in large favor in Europe and is much more extensively grown than in America. The merits of this fruit seem to have been strangely overlooked in this country. When nectarines are properly grown under glass, they are one of the most delicious and beautiful fruits known in this world of limitations and disappointments. The nectarine is a fruit which will in general bear more extensive cultivation in America and which is to be especially recommended for dwarf fruit gardens. This is not to say that it should supersede the peach, or even that it should take equal prominence, but simply that it should be well represented in every selection of fruits for an amateur's collection.