446 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDEXER. [ Novembc. 28, 1865. 



centrate the invalimble spring sap upon the lowest buds for a 

 week or two. This space of time onght, in the orchard-house, 

 to constitute them well. The second growth then should be 

 stopped at two leaves, as soon as three leaves are formed. 



Stopping the third growth is not very important. It may 

 be checked at two leaves if the shoots prosper ; but should the 

 tree appear generally too feeble, arising from undue cropping 

 or from attacks of insects, it would be best to allow the third 

 growth to extend in proportion. The pruner will soon know 

 when to cheek and when to allow gi-owth. It is also evident 

 that the shoots on the lower poi-tions of the bush trees, and 

 especially under the branches, will not be so vigorous as those 

 near the extremities, which receive so much sap, and are so 

 much nearer to the glass ; therefore on these lower parts the 

 pruner will expect only cluster spurs, which must not be 

 touched, and, in the central portions, barren sprav. This 

 last disagreeable type of shoot should be removed whenever 

 possible. It is considered by some as a proof of degeneration 

 m the tree ; by others it is considered as able to bear. It can- 

 not, however, be ntUised, having no terminal leaf bud, which 

 it IS necessary for every class of shoot left to have. Shoots 

 ■well placed on the lower portions of bush trees, if not crowding 

 towards the centre, which should alwavs be left open to the 

 sun and air. are very valuable, and should be carefully looked 

 after. In lofty houses, however, from the tendcncv of tlie s.np 

 to ascend, the lower portions of bush trees of a certain age .ind 

 size cannot be depended on. All Peach growers agree that 

 fruit on the lower branches is not of the best quahty. The 

 shoots, therefore, placed low down must be as well exposed to 

 the sun as possible. Bush trees in low houses, having their 

 centres well exposed, ought, however, to produce fair crops. 

 Advantage should be taken of shoots springing low down to re- 

 model the tree, and, ej r.^nr£e, these shoots must not be pruned. 



•i.- -.jr- 



Fig. 20. 



Bushes appear to most advantage when symmetrical and 

 well balanced. Training en gobclet, or U-shaped, allows a 

 large number of leading branches to spring as low down from 

 one central main stem as is pi-acticaUy useful. Another ex- 

 cellent form is to develope three strong branches, and, when 

 these have reached to about 12 inches, to group on each a 

 sufficient number of lateral branches so as to form a good 

 circle. From these lateral branches other vertical ones may 

 be carried upwards. Several seasons being required for this 

 form, the tree is kept well iinder command. 



Flat-topped trees in pots form a valuable class. SUghtly 

 pendulous, which is natural to some Peaches, they bear fine 

 fruit. Intermingled with bush trees they allow these last more 

 lateral scope, and they suit the loftier portions of the house. 

 The pruning of their shoots is similar to that of bushes. The 

 only difference consists in keeping down those shoots inclined 

 to be vertical, and in watching to cut out gross shoots. 



Pyramidal trees in pots are the trees most under command. 

 They should not be carried very high, about 6 or 8 feet is the 

 most manageable height. The lower parts are always apt to 



languish. As the object is also to form these portions, Ifce 

 first pruning of the shoots, ou the upper third of the p\Tamid, 

 might be to three leaves, the middle third might be allowed 

 one leaf more, and the lowest third be pruned to five leaves. 

 The second stopping, in all cases, should be more abrupt, and 

 be at two more leaves of the second growth. The point of the 

 pyramid should never greatly predominate. All this pruning 

 is easy to accomplish, and the siunmer and winter work can be 

 done with a pair of scissors, kept as sharp as possible. This 

 is much the best way of shortening such close-lving shoots. 

 Old-fashioned pmners will not readily abjure the use of the 

 fatal knife, which is only useful to trim those larger bi-anches 

 which must sometimes be sawn away. ^Yhen this is done let 

 the pruner remove the branch entirely, and quite close to the 

 part left. With this exception, a pair of scissors kept ver< 

 sharp, and about 4 inches long, have served for the whole of my 

 trees of every kind for years, both in-doors and in the open air. 



In figs. 20 and 21 we have three types of shoots which arc 

 most common on bush trees, after being several seasons in 

 pots. They are taken from photographs. In either of them 

 we readUy recognise the shorter shoot, a certain fruit-bearer in 

 the orchard-house, class 5. In fig. 20 we have, besides, the 

 shoot called fruit spray, class 7. This is also a common 

 and productive type, having single finit buds and a terminal 

 leaf bud. It is common on old trees to see whole branches^ 

 whose office seems only to be to carry these fruit-bearers, 

 which must not be pruned. Fig. 21 is given mainly to show 

 the short and beautiful shoot of class 2, fruit shoot pro- 

 perly so called. In long pruning this is the mainstay of the 

 system. It is rarely seen so short out of doors, but being pho- 

 tographed from the Stanwick Nectarine, wiiith is a very strong- 

 growing tree, it seems like fruit spray passing into another 

 type, through the vigour of the sap. In all these specimens 

 the pruner will notice with pleasure that there is a terminal 

 leaf bud, and also a good bud well placed low down the shoot, 

 so that it is easy to secure new wood for next season without 

 extending the shoot too much. This is the vei-y closest style 

 of pruning possible in the Peach. — T. C. Beehact. 



ARCHEP.FIELD. 



{Concluded from page 426.) 



Maxt other objects in the kitchen garden deserve attention. 

 The border fronting the long Peach-house was also orna- 

 mented with bedding plants, Tritoma nvaria being very con- 

 spicuous, but as time presses, and there is another garden still 

 more brilHant in its massing, we make our way to Dirleton 

 Castle, which is distant from the kitchen garden nearly two miles. 



Dirleton Castle, like many similar strongholds in Scotland, 

 and in the English border counties, has a historj' of its own, 

 and was inhabited at a time when the site of the present 

 mansion was used as a place for the practice of archery ; but 

 as a defensive position it was less assisted by Nature th,an its- 

 more famous neighbour, Tantallon Castle, which stands on the- 

 coast a few miles off. Dirleton, however, occupies a slightly 

 elevated position, and though now a ruin, there are traces of a 



