398 THE GARDENER. [Sept. 



New varieties of the Peach and Nectarine are raised from seed. 

 The first matter of importance is the parents from which the seedlings 

 are to be procured. These should be selected with care, and impreg- 

 nated by the hand, so that the cultivator may have a good idea of 

 what should be the results of his labours. Care should be exercised 

 to prevent impregnation from any other quarter than that desired, 

 and for this purpose the means should be adopted to prevent this 

 which I have before recommended. I would suggest that the fruits 

 selected for seed get full justice during the growing season, being 

 thoroughly exposed to light and air, so that they may be well matured 

 and sound. If these things are attended to, the results are likely to 

 prove more satisfactory than if stones are selected at random. When 

 the fruit is thoroughly ripened the stones should be removed and 

 washed clean, after which they may be buried in layers either in the 

 soil of the garden at the depth of a few inches or in boxes of sand, and 

 kept in a cool dry place until spring. In March the stones may be 

 broken, taking care not to hurt the seed, which is in the form of a 

 kernel. The kernels may be sown in rows about 1 inch deep in good 

 yellow loamy soil, at or near the bottom of a wall having a southern 

 exposure. In this position they will probably make good strong 

 growths of 2 to 3 feet during the summer. The best way 

 to save time and prove the qualities of the seedlings is to 

 bud from this maiden shoot, if proper buds can be obtained, on to 

 an old and established tree. By this means the bud upon the tree 

 will make a fruit-bearing shoot the following summer, and produce 

 fruit the succeeding autumn to that, so that by the time the 

 young seedling is two and a-half years of age the cultivator is in 

 a position to know whether it is worth while retaining as a new 

 variety or not. 



When the propagation of existing varieties is only aimed at, the 

 best and surest method is by budding. Grafting is sometimes per- 

 formed with wonderful success, but, everything considered, I prefer 

 budding. For this purpose stocks have to be raised. The Pear- 

 Plum stock is the one most in demand, and is always used for the 

 finest varieties of the Peach and Nectarine. The Mussel Plum is also 

 a good stock, and pretty extensively used ; and where dwarf trees are 

 in request, the Mirabelle Plum is used. Besides these, some cultivators 

 use such as the following as stocks for Peaches and Nectarines — viz., 

 the Brompton, the Apricot, and the Almond. In France the Almond 

 is believed to induce a shorter-jointed and less luxuriant habit of 

 growth, and for this reason many growers work upon it. When the 

 Plum is used as a stock in France, the varieties selected are generally 

 St Julien, the Damas Noir, and Myrobolan. The Almond suits best, 



