November 5, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTDRE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



395 



NOTES ON NECTARINES. 



' EW things are more vexatious than the dis- 

 covery that fruit trees which have had cm- 

 best care in planting and culture, do not 

 yield fruit hke that expected ; the selection 

 of sorts is consequently a matter of such 

 importance and difiiculty withal that only 

 the initiated can hope to be really success- 

 ful. Flavour, size, productiveness, and ap- 

 pearance are all desu'able qualities, and each 

 kind is valued just in proportion to its merits 

 in these respects. Now I do not know all about Necta- 

 rines, but there are a few facts deduced from late ex- 

 perience which may assist others, and which, I think, can- 

 not be written at a more seasonable time than the present. 

 It is now nearly four years ago that stations were 

 prepared for a collection of fruit trees which have since 

 been under my care, and among these the Nectarines 

 have certainly well maintained their position. The whole 

 of them have done well, and tliis year many have produced 

 the first crop of fruit. Of these Lord Napier is undoubt- 

 edly most worthy of the first place ; its size is something 

 wonderful, well-grown fi-uit measuring fully 8 inches in 

 circumference. I very well remember pausing before 

 some Pitmaston Orange Nectarines which had won the 

 first prize at the late fruit show at the Crystal Palace, 

 and fancying what a sensation a plate of Lord Napier 

 would have caused if placed by its side. In flavour and 

 colour the melting flesh of Lord Napier is also excellent, 

 and what adds so much to its value is its earliness, the 

 huge fruit ripening early in August. The tree is vigorous 

 and healthy. Altogether it is a first-rate sort, and no one 

 will ever regret adding this grand Nectarine to their col- 

 lection. There can be no doubt that it and others of Mr. 

 Eivers's equally fine seedlings are destined to replace most 

 of the older sorts by their superiority in size and flavour, 

 and by extending the season for ripe fruit very consider- 

 ably. The fruit of Bivers's Stanwiok Elruge was not so 

 large as Lord Napier, but it was very fine and excellent. 

 The crop was abundant. I shall, perhaps, best show 

 how highly I esteem it by extracting from my fruit book 

 the note of it for this year — " Tree in full vigour. Splen- 

 did crop of fine fruit. Flavour excellent. This is quite 

 one of the best." Kivers's White was good, the tree 

 yielding about half a crop. There are others of the Saw- 

 bridgeworth strain that were planted later, and have not 

 yet fruited. Pine Apple I know to be most delicious. 

 Albert Victor, Victoria, Prince of Wales, and Large El- 

 ruge are the other sorts, which I believe must be grown, 

 and which I hope to know more about next season. Of 

 older kinds Pitmaston Orange had an abundant crop of 

 small fruit, Violette Hutive and Balgowan had very little 

 fruit, owing, probably, to a very robust growth. They 

 are both in a promising condition for next season. 



Considerable difference of opinion prevails as to the 



amount of vigour which it is desirable such young trees 



should possess, some persons regarding a shoot of or 



6 feet as just so much wasted vigour, and they would 



No. 710.-VOL. XXVU, New Sebibs. 



root-prune and pinch-off the ends of any growth exceed- 

 ing stated limits rather than see a Peach or Nectarine 

 tree exhibit the slightest approach to grossness ; so bigoted 

 are some in this respect that I have known instances of 

 trees being actually lifted and every root severed during 

 the season of growth in order to reduce them to a certain 

 standard, the result being a weakly growth and an abun- 

 dant crop, equally void of vulgarity on the score of size ; 

 for in no instance could a single fruit be found which at 

 all approached the recognised standard of excellence. 

 Now, the end and aim of every cultural system is un- 

 doubtedly to obtain an annual supply of first-class fruit. 

 When this is well done the frees at this time of the year 

 will invariably be found to have made a robust new 

 growth, with the bark firm and bright, and bristling with 

 plump triple buds. So long as one can point to such a 

 result one need not mind a little criticism. My own 

 practice is somewhat cf the rough-and-ready type. The 

 trees are taken care of, but I do not mind a few gross 

 shoots, as will be understood when it is stated that most 

 of the Nectarine trees, which were planted in January, 

 1872, have reached the coping boards at the top of a 

 10-feet waU. The branches of one tree of Balgowan have 

 a lateral spread of upwards of 20 feet ; a Harrington Peach 

 is equally fine, and from present appearances I have 

 reason to anticipate a heavy crop on both trees next sea- 

 son. Had all growth that might be regarded as rampant 

 been pruned as closely as is sometimes recommended these 

 trees would not only not have been above half the size, 

 but, what is far more important, next season's crop would 

 assume a much less promising aspect. Take, for example, 

 a shoot of extraordinary strength of last year upon the 

 Barrington Peach. Last autumn it had not a triple bud 

 upon it, yet it was not cut away, but only shortened to 

 about 4 feet, and the result is that it has made a splen- 

 did lateral growth of stout fruiting wood, each shoot being 

 2 to 3 feet in length, with abundant triple buds. Very 

 different would the result have been had it been cut off 

 altogether, for then it would have been replaced by two 

 or three shoots equally gross and equally fruitless. When 

 the pruning knife is thus misapplied it can no longer be 

 regarded as a scientific instrument, and is worthy only 

 to be classed with a woodman's bill-hook. 



All kinds are not equally robust; thus Pitmaston 

 Orange Nectarine, Noblesse and Early York Peaches are 

 not so much inclined to develope a strong growth as early 

 maturity and fruitfulness, affording fruit in quantity long 

 before the more vigorous sorts. I do not agree with 

 those who would try to bring all kinds into a uniform 

 condition of fruitfulness by a given time, but strive rather 

 to adapt my cultm'e to the peculiarities of each sort, 

 believing that by so doing I shall eventually render them 

 more healthy, and consequently more fruitful and durable, 

 than if they were subjected to a system which is not 

 commendable even for its precision. I said I do not 

 object to a few gi'oss shoots, and reallj' I do not well 

 see how one could fairly do so after making the stations 

 as fertile and sound as possible ; for what was one's 

 object in so doing ? Was it not to promote strength and 



No. 1362.— Vol. LII., Old Seeieb. 



