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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



inch pots and repotted into 4-incli pots, in whicli they re- 

 main until ready for planting in the bench. The bench 

 is about one-third filled with a good rose soil, mounded 

 against the inner side. The plants are set out one foot 

 apart and allowed to grow to the top of the trellis before 

 stopping. As we have only one fruit to set on each plant, 

 it can be placed high or low on the trellis as we desire. 

 This is the time to consider the general appearance of the 

 house. We should exercise great care in removing later- 

 als. They should never be cut close to the main stem. 

 Light top dressing is applied from time to time until the 

 bench is about one-half full. This, with liquid manure, 

 when the fruits are swelling, will be all that is needed. 



The plants should not be subjected to cool treatment. 

 The minimum temperature should be 60 degrees. 



Every grower has his favorite variety. We like Royal 

 Sovereign for the white-flesh and Blenheim Orange for 

 scarlet. 



PE.\CHES .^XD NECTARINES 



Are seldom seen in perfection in our northern climate ex- 

 cept when grown under glass. We use a house running 

 east and west, trellised crosswise about six feet apart. 

 This form of trellising has many advantages over the old 

 method of fixing the trellis at a uniform distance of two 

 feet below the glass and planting at the sides of the house. 

 In the first place, it gives us much more trellis space, 

 afi^ords free access to both sides of the trees and more sun 

 and light. In all it gives us more natural conditions. 



The next thing to consider is the border. We use a 

 rather heavy soil from an upland pasture. To this we add- 

 one-tenth lime rubble, or old plaster. To each cubic yard 

 we add about fifty pounds of one-half-inch bone, and a 

 good sprinkling of wood ashes. We use an inside border 

 with a cemented bottom three feet below the surface, with 

 a suitable outlet for drainage. Over this is placed about 

 eight inches of rock. On this we place a fresh sod, grass 

 side down. This leaves somewhat over two feet for soil, 

 which is filled in with that prepared for the purpose. 



Manures iti any form should not be added at planting 

 time, for it induces too strong a growth. Stimulants are 

 better added later on, when you know that the trees are in 

 want of them. 



It is generally known that the best form of trellis for 

 trees is the fan. The grower having this in mind, forms 

 an idea of how the main ribs or branches should go and is 

 governed by the shape and size of the trellis and the loca- 

 tion of the tree. The main ribs of the fan should be about 

 18 inches apart. Between these are laid the young shoots 

 that are intended to bear fruit. When the shoot that is to 

 bear fruit is disbudded in the spring, a bud should be left 

 at the base and also at the tip. The latter will draw up 

 the sap to develop the fruit. This is pinched after the 

 third leaf. Now the bud that was left at the base has bro- 

 ken into growth, and is forming a new extension for the 

 next season's fruit. This is stopped when it reaches about 

 eight inches, and is kept stopped until the end of the 

 season. After fruiting the old shoot is cut out, and the 

 young one takes its place for the next season. 



By this method there is very little winter pruning. We 

 get as good fruiting wood at the base of the tree as we do 

 at the top. I think it has many advantages over the long 

 or unstopped system more generally used. In disbudding 

 a fruiting shoot when growth starts, do it by degrees. It 

 would cause too great a check to remove them all at once. 

 TJie same may be said of thinning the fruits. 



The space allotted to each fruit on a trellis tree, de- 

 pends largely on the variety. For instance, some of the 

 later peaches, such as "Sea Eagle,'' "Thomas Rivers," and 

 "Walburton Admirable," with good treatment can be de- 

 veloped so that each fruit would weigh nine ounces, or 



sometimes over. In this case, they should be thinned to 

 twelve inches apart, while the earlier varieties, such as 

 "Duchess of Cornwall," "Hale's Early," and "Early Bea- 

 trice," cannot be developed to this size, and will not over- 

 tax your tree if left nine to ten inches. 



Nectarines, as a rule, are not as large as peaches, and 

 should be thinned to eight or nine inches. 



THE VINE. 



There is probably no fruit grown under glass that re- 

 sponds as quickly to kind treatment as the vine. It also 

 shows neglect sooner than other fruits. 



In erecting a new vinery I should prefer an even span 

 house, running north and south. This would give the 

 maximum amount of light morning and evening. With 

 its ridge and rafters it would give a little shade at midday. 

 These would be the proper conditions, except for very 

 early forcing, when a lean-to south exposure would be 

 preferred. We use the all-inside border on a cement bot- 

 tom. This bottom is SYz feet below the surface. On this 

 is placed six or eight inches of rock for drainage. To 

 provide soil, sod should be cut from an old pasture and 

 piled up for a few months before it is used. To each 

 cubic yard of soil, add 100 pounds of one-half-inch bone, 

 two bushels of old plaster, one bushel charcoal, and one- 

 half bushel of fresh lime. In filling the border we do not 

 fill it all at once. We fill in four or five feet on each side 

 where the vines are to be planted and the rest is added as 

 required. If we should fill this border all at once with 

 this rich compost, the center would be liable to get sour 

 before the roots would be able to take care of it. 



Most people want results as soon as possible. Some- 

 times the young vines are cropped too soon, which has a 

 very bad efi^ect for years to come. To avoid this we plant 

 two sets of vines, one for temporary fruiting, the other 

 for permanent vines. If we wish to plant dormant canes 

 the planting should be done in the autumn. We first se- 

 cure enough planting canes to plant the house 3j/ to 4 

 feet apart. If pot grown, they are shaken out and planted 

 in their permanent position. Then we get the same num- 

 ber of fruiting canes grown in twelve-inch pots. The 

 pots are removed, but we do not disturb the roots but very 

 little. They are then planted between the permanent 

 vines. 



PRUNING. 



The permanent vines are cut back to a good bud at the 

 surface of the border, while the temporary vine is only 

 shortened to the desired length for bearing fruit. In this 

 way we ,get fruit the first season without any danger of a 

 permanent injury to the \'inery. 



These temporary vines are allowed to remain two or 

 more years as required. When not wanted they are cut 

 out below the surface of the border. The roots are al- 

 lowed to remain . The temporary vines need not neces- 

 sarily be in the way of the permanent ones, even in the 

 second year or later. It can be fruited on the upper part 

 of the trellis. In this case the buds are rubbed off from 

 the lower part of the vine to the height of those left on the 

 permanent one. This will give fruit on the lower part of 

 the trellis from one and on the top part of the trellis from 

 the other. 



Now we will assume that about three years have passed. 

 The border is all filled and the vine occupies its full posi- 

 tion. The next most essential point is to maintain the 

 vigor produced by the new border. To do this we must 

 furnish an annual top dressing of a good, rich compost. 

 This is best done during the dormant season. After the 

 house is cleaned out. all the loose material is removed 

 from the surface of the border. It is then loosened uj) 

 with a fork and the top dressing added. Bone meal, lime. 



