"Feathers are the small branches with wide crotch angles on the nursery stock at planting. You need a nursery tree with 10-12 feathers at planting. At least if you want the early production needed for early payback. Hangers and risers are branches hanging down or growing up from a scafold. At least that's my understanding." Just as our fruitnut said. 'nut, a tree that is ten feet across, or even eight feet across is not that narrow. At least not to me. And yes, when you remove a scaffold you cut it back to a one or two inch stub so that it will send out a new shoot that will become a scaffold. Scaffolds come off the CL at a hoped for right angle. Leaving that stub is the hardest thing for a pruner to do. They all want to cut it off entirely. Even after doing it for a day or two they will revert. You want all of these scaffolds as they are not long and the ones in the top are short, maybe not more than a foot long. So not much shade. I do almost no pruning until the tree starts to bear. But some tying down would be good. glib, I grow Gingergold, Pinklady, Rome. This method is not used on the Rome. Actually all three of those are tip bearers and I prefer plain CL on them. I did grow Fuji using this method and have since 1982 or 85? Just pulling out the last of the Fuji. I have always called this method the French Axe. It works very well on Gala or Golden or Jonagold or anything that isn't an extreme tip bearer. IMHO I don't have curculio or maggot. Or chickens for that matter. Reading these posts I know that my growing conditions are much easier than those of you who grow back east. I do have neighbors, however.

Cebury, I have been foremost in pointing out peach trees are different from other fruit trees when it comes to new shoot development, yet I do recommend notching above peach buds (as with buds from other fruit trees) to stimulate growth. Allow me to clarify my response. Peach trees are different in that they are very reluctant to sprout adventitious buds. So that someone new won't have to look that word up, what it basically means is that apples, pears, tart cherries, etc. will easily sprout new shoots even where there wasn't a live bud. They will sprout a shoot simply out of bark. When they are young, it's not uncommon for them to sprout several shoots out of smooth bark. Peaches are different. Peaches rarely sprout a shoot out of bark. Severely pruned peach trees that are suddenly opened up to sunlight will sprout shoots from bark, but it's just that they are much less willing to do so than other fruit trees. It requires a pretty good shock to make them do it. And even after a shock, they do it less than other fruit trees. Regarding 1"+ diameter peach trees, I have found when I receive larger peach trees from a nursery, I have extreme difficulty getting the lower buds to sprout (to induce lower scaffolds). I think in many times the lower buds are dead. It's for this reason, for the last few years, I've requested peach trees to be 1/2" or less. It's common for commercial growers around here to order smaller peach trees for that reason. Even when trimming the tree back, the lower buds just sit there on larger diameter trees. Regarding my comment in the post above, if I can see peach buds starting to sprout, by notching above them, I've found it stimulates their growth. Apparently, once the bud is active, the regular principles of hormone physiology hold true. That is, blocking the auxins from the upper shoots stimulates growth of the lower active buds. So I would say one would benefit actively sprouting peach buds by notching above them. I would also still say peach buds can be very different from other fruit trees, in that they won't readily form adventitious buds, and lower buds on larger caliper trees frequently just sit there and do nothing. They seem to be dead. I've got some older peach trees, that I failed to grow lower scaffolds. I've given up trying to force lower scaffolds on these trees. There are a couple of these trees I like, so last summer I T-budded some seedlings to try to make new trees. My intention is to replace the older trees w/ ones that have lower scaffolds.

I have a lot of little collections. Silk roses - different shades of pink and ones that are real looking. I keep them in a crystal vase on a table in my living room. One day my brother David who rarely visits asked me who sent me the bouquet of roses. LOL I think the most expensive rose in the vase cost me $5.95 Royal Doulton figurines - I have a few, wish I had just a few more. I inherited a couple of them including the toby jugs. My Grandma had many Royal Doulton figurines. Royal Doulton Bunnykins pieces - pre 1970 Vintage Pyrex - my collection is huge - everything from old Flame Ware, vaccum coffee pots, bowls, dishes, mugs, salt and pepper shakers, custard cups, butter dishes, cracker and cookie barrels, cookware, tea pots, coffee urns with stands, platters, bread makers, roasters, measuring cups, rolling pin, turkey basters, nesting bowls, regrigerator boxes, casserole dishes, etched pieces. I am looking for old Pyrex baby bottles now - I only have one in my collection. I display a few pieces in my kitchen, I use a couple of Pyrex refrigerator boxes and small bowls to hold my jewelry on my dresser. LOL Anything that says Pyrex on the bottom I want it. I used to be able to buy pieces for under $1.00 at thrift stores, but not anymore. Many people have ruined old Pyrex by using it in the microwave. English Bone China - Tea cups and saucers, some I have bought myself, most I have been given or inherited. I have one box in my closet full of tea cups and saucers that my Aunt Joan gave me but have no place to display them. I use my tea cups and saucers. I have little bone china jam pots and egg coddlers, boiled egg cups. Crystal - I love anything crystal. I use my crystal cream and sugars with my tea cups and saucers. I inherited a big crystal basket that I love. Egg cups - I have a few that I treasure - one of them is a monkey wrapped around the part that holds the egg which is from the 1950's. Christmas decorations - old beads for the tree, cardboard houses for my mantle or Christmas items from the 1950's or before. 101 Dalmation Christmas pieces - my brother finds these for me. They are so cute and some of the pieces move or do something. Avon china dolls - I have them displayed on my dresser but am thinking of putting them away. I put the Irish doll in the living room for St. Patrick's Day. Buttons - I have old tins, mason jars, and boxes filled with buttons I have bought from estate sales, and yard sales. I love sorting through them. I don't know which ones would be worth money as some collectors do. Old board games and game pieces including dice. Old marbles -white with swirls. Old cross stitched or pieces and embroidered linens that strike my fancy and old cross stitch patterns. Woodens thread spools/ Pins/brooches - I have many that I wear - don't often leave the house without some kind of pin or brooch. My favourites are my Cladaigh brooches - don't know if I spelled that right. LOL I also often wear a little wooden mouse with blue jeweled and a suede tail my sister gave me when I was 4 years old. Matchbooks - I used to collect them - I have many from around the world, a couple from the Air France Concord. Many of from places I could only dream about visiting. Walkers/wobblers - I don't know the correct name for them. Toys from the 1950's or earlier. Hard plastic figures like Mickey Mouse or Hannah Barbera cartoon characters. They had little wheels under them - you would put the toy on a slanted surface and they would walk/wobble down to the bottom. I have about 7 of these I have collected over the years. Cookbooks - vintage, I love all community cookbooks put out by the Junior Leagues or churches because most of the recipes are tried and true. Hardcover books on the English Royal family. Old hardcover books that might strike me as interesting or because of the artwork. Minature doll furniture from the 1950's of 1960's. I am just starting to collect little 3" colourful gnomes or trolls. Royal Albert Poinsettia discontinued china. I have quite a few cups and saucers. I am always on the search for any sized plates, tea pot, tiered cookie plate. I don't buy anything on ebay so I hunt around at yard sales and antique stores for them. I want to collect enough pieces for a set of 4 place settings or at least breakfast or dessert settings. I collect so much - but don't want a lot of any one thing. LOL There is so much more that I haven't even mentioned. LOL Anne

Orchid in planter on books No books: Mtn, I love those revere bowls, I actually have three green enameled ones, the one shown, one more olive green and one a teal green. And I thought those trays would be fun for your pool next year....if you don't watch out you will have your own army of shoppers for that place :-)