THE PEACH IN THE NORTH. 



ground; if they grow well, they should be, by the end of the first year, three or four in 

 ches in height* as they are now but one year old, there will be no difficulty in moving 

 them with all the fibres they possess, and setting them out thinly in a well prepared piece 

 of ground • hence, by the end of the second year, they average from twevle to fifteen 

 inches in height. They are now lifted and planted out where they are to remain, and from 

 the transplanting of the first year, they now move with a mass of fibres which strike im- 

 mediately into the ground, the plants themselves forming shoots the first summer from 

 nine to twelve inches long, and go on after as rapidly as if they had never been moved; 

 when compared to the other two systems, we find they remain stationary, or make very 

 little nrogress for the first year or two, and never grow so rapidly or fine. I bring the case 

 of the Larch forward, to illustrate my idea of the necessity of growing this, or indeed any 

 other tree, from its infancy, freely and thriftily, without impairing its constitution, from 

 want of food, light, air, or improper checks of any description whatever; once its consti- 

 tutional strength lost, it can never regain it. Do the breeders of fine animals neglect 

 them while young, and only tend them with care when they arrive at a given age; noth- 

 ing of the sort — they know full well to their cost, if they are not careful and kind while 

 the animal is young and growing, they never will have anything worth figuring at any of 

 our state fairs. 



We will now pass by the youthful days of our trees; but before doing so, I shall make 

 one more remark, bearing upon this point. The growers of plants for the great London 

 exhibitions, in what way do they produce those matchless specimens of cultural skill which 

 surprise every one who sees them? They commence with young, healthy, thrifty plants — any 

 plant that does not possess health and vigor, they would not waste time and attention up- 

 on, as it would be wasted, nothing more — these are potted liberally, grown in warm, 

 well constructed houses, fumigated, syringed, &c., with every possible attention given to 

 induce a healthy growth for two or three years, during which time they are not allowed 

 to produce a single bloom — there is no check in any shape given. When the plants are of 

 good size and shape, and have concentrated within them, health, strength, and vigor, and 

 are capable of doing what is technically called toork, they are then, and not till then, al- 

 lowed to bloom. Should any of the plants look in the least delicate, while passing through 

 this training period, they are immediately destroyed, as it would be considered a waste of 

 time to keep them longer. Hence the great necessity of growing all plants and trees from 

 the first stage of growth, well, full of health and thriftiness, &c. We shall suppose they 

 have been well grown in their early stages, and that the trees are properly and permanent- 

 ly planted out as standards; they should now be regularly pruned, the fruit thinned, &c. 

 How this should be performed, has been so well and so frequently described by Mv. Down- 

 ing, that I shall pass it by. If pruning, tliinning, and the other necessaries which the 

 trees require, are neglected, they must of necessity soon perish; if people were but to con- 

 sider the immense draft a heavy crop of peaches must make upon a tree, they would won- 

 der how it was the tree does not die from sheer exhaustion; and if the tree does not per- 

 ish, it must of necessity become feeble and sickly. I have seen splendid specimens of plants 

 perish after a free bloom, and so well is this known to the exhibitors in England, that 

 many of those magnificent specimens which are shown at Chiswick and Regent's Park, 

 are the day after the show denuded of every bloom. Now, had all this bloom been allow- 

 ed to remain and die off naturally, the plants would be so enfeebled, that if they had sur- 

 vived at all, they would require a years' repose before they could be brought out in the 

 same trim, or bloom poorly the following season. It is well known the most delicious 

 frnits are the most delicate, and require the greatest amount of care. The highest bred 



