71 



THE PEACH. 



(By a Gardener in the Countrt.) 

 The majority of writers on fruit trees recommend to plant in autumn, 

 and such is a good practice provided there has been time to get every- 

 thing in readiness beforehand ; if not, it had better be deferred till the 

 month of JMarch, whicli we are supposing is the case. Havmg selected 

 the trees and brought them to the spot, let the broken ends be cut 

 clean off with a sharp knife, and having marked the places where the 

 trees are to stand, place a barrowful or two of the compost on the 

 spot, on which, when made moderately firm, place the trees, and care- 

 fully train out the roots, securing them in tlieir proper positions by a 

 few turves or a spadeful of compost ; this will give the trees a slight 

 elevation. The rest of the compost should now be brought in and 

 levelled evenly over the border, covering up the roots as the work 

 proceeds, till the whole is finished and worked off to the proper slope. 

 In filling up the border due allowance must be made for settling down ; 

 for even should the compost be moderately dry, it should not be trod 

 very firm ; and will therefore settle down a few inches in the course of 

 the summer ; and if wet it should be trod on as little as possible, and 

 will require to be left eight inches at least higher than the intended 

 level, to allow for settling. 



The distance at which the trees should be planted apart will depend 

 on the height of the wall; fur walls 10 feet high, 16 feet apart; for 



9 feet walls, 18 feet apart ; and for 8 feet walls 20 feet apart, are 

 about the distances which the trees would easily fill. 



Where the walls are higher, standards are generally introduced, 

 which will require a separate notice. If the trees are well furnished 

 with roots, the shoots, which will be from three to four feet in length, 

 should be cut back one-half, excepting the centre shoot, which should 

 be cut to within five or seven joints or buds of the bottom, as this will 

 have to furnish wood to fill up the middle of the tree. We are sup- 

 posing that the trees have either two, three, or five side-shoots each, 

 and a centre one ; the side shoots will require nailing or tying to the 

 wall (which, however, need not be done before the beginning of April). 

 Bring them down gently, so as to form an easy curve ; the lowermost 

 one will afterwards be trained nearly horizontal with the border, and 



10 or 12 inches above it (according to the height of the stem) ; and 

 the others at equal distances, that, with the three or five additional shoots 

 which are to be obtained from the centre piece of wood, the skeleton of the 

 tree may be set out. Should the weather after planting prove dry, 

 the trees will require water for a few times ; and during the summer 

 a wheelbarrow load of half rotten dung spread over their roots will 

 prevent them from suffering from an occasional drought, should it 

 occur. As the trees progress into leaf, disbudding, or the removal of 

 all the young shoots except such as are required to fill up the tree, 

 will be necessary. Great caution and foresight will be required, as on 

 this being properly done the future shape — and I may add, also, the 

 well-doing — of the tree depends. As a rule, the uppermost bud on each 



