488 



AMYGDALACEiE, IL Persica. 



\ 



Knight. 



that the most perfect and vigorous offspring will be obtained of the trees may take root immediately before the dry warm "weather 

 plants as of animals, when the male and female parent are not commences. 

 too closely related to each other. Some excellent papers on Mode of bearing. — ** All the varieties of the peach d,ni nee- J 



this subject will be found in the Hort. Trans, vol. 1. by T. A. tarine bear the fruit upon the young wood of a year old; the 



The 2?eac^ does not, like many other species of fruits, blossom-buds arise immediately from the eyes of the shoots, 

 much exercise the patience of the gardener who raises it from The same shoot seldom bears after the first year, except on some 

 the seed ; for it may always be made to bear when 3 years old. casual small spurs on the two years wood, which is not to be 

 In prosecuting such experiments, Mr. Knight recommends the counted upon. Hence the trees are to be pruned as bearing 

 seedling peach trees to be retained in pots, and buds from them entirely on the shoots of the preceding year, and a full supply 

 only to be inserted in older trees ; for their rapid and luxuriant of every year's shoots must be trained in for successional bearers 



the following season." 



The summer pruning . — In May and June, and occasionally in 



growth IS extremely troublesome on a wall, and pruning is death 



to them. Mr. Knight, by leaving on the lateral branches near 



the extremities of the shoots, and by exposing the leaves as the succeeding months, is to regulate the shoots of the same 



much as possible to the sun, in order to promote the growth and year, and to prevent improper growths by rubbing off the buds. 



ripening of the wood, 

 from seed. 



procured blossom-buds the first year Pinch off fore-right buds or shoots, and pinch off or cut out, ill 



placed, very weakly, spongy or deformed shoots, and very strong 



Projiagation to perpetuate varieties. — The ^;eac/i is generally luxuriant growths, retaining a plentiful supply of good lateral 



budded on Damask -plum stocks, and some of the more delicate shoots in all parts of the tree, and leaving a leader to each 



sorts on apricot stocks, or old apricot trees cut down, or on branch. Let them mostly be trained in at full length all sum 



seedling peaches, almonds, or nectarines. Knight recommends 



mer, about 3 inches asunder for next year's bearers, and divest 



growing almond stocks for the finer nectarines and apricots, as them of any lateral twigs, to prevent a thicket-like intricacy, 



likely to prevent the mildew, and as being allied to the j9eacA. and to promote a healthy fruitful growth in the shoots left* 



He says, ** almond stocks should be raised and retained in the In the course of the summer regulation, if any partial vacancy 



nursery in pots, as they do not transplant well." Perform the occurs, or should a young tree under training want an additional 



budding in July and August, in the side of the stock, one bud supply of wood, shorten some conveniently placed strong shoot 



in each : they should be inserted near the bottom for the priu- in June to a few eyes, to furnish a supply of laterals the same 

 cipal wall- trees, and at the height of 3 or 4 or 5 feet for riders. 



season, 



The bud will shoot the following spring, and attain the length of The winter-pruning may be performed at the fall of the leal, 



and thence, according to some professional writers, at any time 



It should be completed in Fe- 



3 or 4 feet in the summer's growth. After the budded trees 



have ripened the first year's shoot, they may either be planted in mild weather until spring. 



bruary, or early in March, before the blossom-buds are consi- 

 derably advanced, which are distinguishable by being round, 

 plump, and prominent, while the leaf and shoot-buds are oblong 

 nursery, the first year's shoot from the buddinor must be headed and narrow. There is some advantage in pruning when tne 



- Retain in all parts of 



where they are to remain, or be trained in the nursery for 2, 3, 

 or 4 years, till in a bearing state. Whether the plants be re- 

 moved into the garden at a year old, or remain longer in the 



down, either early in June the same year, to gain a season, or 

 in March following, to 4, 5, or 6 eyes, to produce lateral shoots, 

 with 1 upright leader to begin the formation of the head in a 

 fan-like expansion ; the second year's shoot should also be 

 shortened to a few eyes at the return of June or March ; and 

 those also of the third year in such degree as may seem ex- 



pedient. 

 Soil, 



(( 



A good soil for peach trees, according to Abercrombie, 



is composed of 3 parts mellow unexhausted loam, and 1 part 



If the 



drift sand, moderately enriched with vegetable mould. 

 soil be lean and 



blossom-buds can be certainly known. . . 



the tree a competent supply of such regular grown shoots of 

 last year as are apparently fruitful in blossom-buds. Most 

 parts of these should be shortened, not indiscriminately, but 

 according to their strength and situation ; the very strong shoots 

 should be left longest, being topped about one-fourth or one- 

 third of their length; shoots of middling vigour reduce one- 

 third or one-half, and prune the very weak to 2 or 3 buds. 

 Always cut at a shoot-bud, to advance for a leader; sometimes 

 a shoot-bud lies between a twin blossom-bud; cut half an mc 



poor 



and at the same time light, have the above the bud. As many new shoots as will lay from 3 to 



inches asunder may be deemed a competent supply for n^^ 

 year's bearers. Cut out quite close the redundant, irregular, 

 and other improper shoots ; remove or reduce some part oi 



borders improved by decomposed dung and fertile mellow earth ; 

 if the ground be strong and heavy, add some light earth or 

 dung ; if very gravelly, remove the grossest part, excavating 



to the proper depth, and in the same proportion apply a com- former bearers of the two preceding years ; cutting the mo 



post as above. Let the soil be made good to the depth of 30 naked quite away, and others down to the most eligible youn^ 



inches or 3 feet. The nectarine wants the warmer, richer, and branch or well-placed shoot. Also take out all diseased an 



deeper soil, if any difference be made. Bad cold ground or ^ ^ i . • • . .mi „..nr»inf\;. 



an exhausted mould, is often the cause of the trees gumming." 



dead wood, retaining young where necessary to fill a vacuity. 



, ^ ^, cold and late situations, T.A.Knight recommends a mode of prun^ 



Forsyth says, ** Peaches require a lighter soil than pears and ing adapted to obtain fruit-bearing spurs on the peachy and tne 



plums, and a lieht mellow loam is best." spurs he finds best calculated in such situations and late seaso 

 * * 11 . , . - ^1 « Instead 



Choice of plants, — Abercrombie, Forsyth, Nicol, and most to generate well organised and vigorous blossoms 



authors agree in recommending the choice of trees, 2, 3, or 4 

 years trained. Forsyth says they should be procured in the 

 latter end of October or beginning of November, as soon as the 

 leaf begins to fall. 



Final planting. — The peach is almost universally planted the young shoots, whicl 

 against walls in Britain ; in some few warm situations they have 



of taking off so large a portion of the young shoots, and teaming 

 in a few only, to a considerable length, as is usually done, ana a 

 1 should myself do, to a great extent in the vicinity of ^^" "f 

 and in every favorable situation, I preserve a large number 



1 are 



,.., . preserve ^ ■ ,n 



emitted in a proper direction, m 



been tried as dwarf standards or as low espaliers, covering with 

 mats in spring to protect their blossoms. Early autumn planting 



early spring by the yearling wood, shortening each where nee ^- 

 sary, by pinching off the minute succulent points, 8^"^^^ ^'..u 

 the length of 1 or 2 inches. Spurs which lie close to the wai 



is best on dry soils. Spring planting may be successfully per- are thus made, upon which numerous blossom-buds form very 

 formed in February and March, but the sooner the better, that early in the ensuing summer. It is only in cold and late situa- 



