PKimiNG AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACH TEEE. 



the growth was moderated, and tlie crop was abundant. But this proceeding delays 

 production ; it must therefore be abandoned for the use of the Almond and Phuu 

 stocks. Beside, thus worked, the Peach is but short-hved. 



35. If we desire to plant our own Almond stocks, we must choose hard-shelled 

 Almonds, and put them in layers. In the first fortnight of January, we must ]5ut in 

 a box or basket, alternately, a bed of sand of the thickness of the hand, and a layer 

 of Almonds until the box be full, or till all the Almonds are used, and place the box 

 or basket in a cellar, or in the earth, so as to be moist and protected from the frost. 

 As soon as there is no fear of frost, that is to say about the end of April, the Almonds 

 are planted in a soil, manured and trenched to the depth of sixteen inches at least. 

 Holes are then made from six to seven inches deep, and about a foot apart, in each of 

 which an Almond is placed, after breaking off about one-third of its tap-root in order 

 to make the roots strike out more horizontally, and to prevent their going down too 

 deep. This process has the advantage of fitting the Almond for those soils which 

 have but a thin layer of vegetable earth. The Almond trees will be ready for bud- 

 ding at the end of August or beginning of September following. 



36. If we bud on the Plum, suckers must be procured ; these generally spring 

 from the bottoms of large Plum trees. The preference is to be given to the Black 

 Damask, which the cultivators near Paris generally get from Fontenay-aux-Roses. 

 These are planted, on a properly prepared soil, from November till March ; but 

 November is preferable ; they are cut down nearly to the level of the ground, when 

 planted ; and they are budded when they have made fresh shoots fit for being worked 

 at the proper season. 



37. The ground on which this nursery of Almond or Plum stocks is, ought to be 

 kept perfectly clean. It is necessary to give the ground several stirrings, so that it 

 may be loose and free from weeds. 



38. The Plum stock is budded from the middle of July to the middle of August ; 

 and the Almond and Peach stocks from the middle of August to the middle of Sep- 

 tember. The mode employed is almost exclusively that of shield-budding. Care 

 must be taken that the buds are from very healthy trees and from shoots well ripened, 

 and of a slightly abated growth. The stocks which are to be budded must, on the 

 contrary, have their sap in full flow", so that, should the bud not take, the operation 

 can be repeated. On this account the Almond is the most advantageous by reason 

 of its late growth. As soon as the shoots for furnishing buds are cut, the leaves are 

 taken off, allowing a portion of the stalk about one-third of an inch long to remain. 

 The spontaneous fall of this remaining portion of the stalk shows that the bud has 

 taken. Although it is always better to employ the buds as soon as possible after the 

 shoots have been cut off", they may be very well preserved by keeping the bases of the 

 shoots in water. It is even good to adopt the same treatment for buds that have 

 come from a distance. 



39. The bud commonly takes in six or twelve days ; this is known, as before said, 

 the fall of the stalk. If, on the contrary, the stalk remains on, and the bud 



ther up and die, the stock must be re-budded. 



