312 THE GARDENER. [July 



accustomed to early forcing, February is sufficiently early to begin to 

 force them the first year. The second they ma}'- be started a month 

 earlier. V>y beginning a few weeks earlier every year they can be 

 worked round to start at any time within the limits of what is practi- 

 cable, much more safely than by beginning them very early the first 

 and second years. It may be said of plants and trees in this respect 

 that " use is second nature ;" for unless violently pushed they will 

 have their period of repose, and the Peach most particularly should 

 never be subject to hard forcing. 



DRESSING THR TREES AND BORDERS. 



Let it be supposed that the earliest Peaches have been pruned, and' 

 the woodwork and glass of the house thoroughly cleansed. If there 

 has been any red-spider about the trees the previous season, let the 

 whole of them be first washed by means of a hair-brush and soft water, 

 in which about an ounce of soft-soap to every gallon has been mixed. 

 After the trees are dry, coat them over with a mixture of sulphur, 

 cow-dung, and soot, in equal proportions, and reduced to the consist- 

 ency of thick paint with hot water. To a gallon of this add 2 oz. of 

 soft-soap. In painting the trees over with this, care should be taken 

 always to draw the brush upwards towards the points of the shoots^ 

 to prevent the prominent buds from being rubbed off. I have often 

 started Peaches without this dressing, and only consider it necessary 

 when the trees have been attacked by red-spider the previous season. 

 In tying the trees, care must be taken to rub off as little of the dress- 

 ing as possible. 



The surface soil should be removed from the border to the depth 

 of 2 inches, and replaced with pure fresh loam in the case of young 

 vigorous trees in new borders. In the. case of old trees that have 

 borne heavily for a succession of years, remove the soil down to the 

 first roots, and replace it with an equal amount of loam, with a third 

 of horse-droppings or well-rotted manure mixed with it. If the inside 

 border is dry, give it a good soaking with tepid weak manure-water. 

 Presuming that these operations have been attended to a fortnight 

 before the house is to be shut up for forcing, still keep the house cool 

 and well aired, but keep the trees dry, so that the dressing does not 

 get washed off them. The outside border should always be protected 

 from cold and wet at the same time by a covering of litter and leaves- 

 and a tarpaulin, or other means, such as wooden shutters for throw- 

 ing off drenching rains. This is supposing that forcing is begun- 

 before the end of February. 



TEMPERATURE. 



Unless the weather be frosty when the house is shut up, no- 



