322 [ THE PEACH AND THI NECTARINE 



be commenced in May and continued at intervals of 

 fifteen days. Although when properly established the 

 peach will do without any irrigation, especially on deep 

 and moist soils, it is generally admitted that if moderately 

 watered the size of the fruit will improve appreciably 

 without any deterioration of its quality, but excessive 

 watering especially on clayey and moist soils may cause 

 the fruit to become too watery and to lose its flavour, 

 besides favouring outbreaks of gumming and root-rot. 



The productiveness of the peach orchard is kept up by 

 manuring the soil moderately and regularly. The best 

 manure for this purpose is old manure from the cow shed 

 or the stable, applied every fourth year in autumn and 

 the soil is trenched at the same time. Trenching should 

 be done at a depth of about 15 c. m., and if the trees are 

 grafted on plum stock, and are therefore very prone to 

 throw up' suckers, it is advisable not to trench deeper 

 than 10 c. m. and in no case to exceed a depth of 15 c. m. 

 in order not to favour the formation of suckers by wound- 

 ing the superficial roots. The manure is strewn along 

 the bottom of the trench and lightly digged in by a hoe, 

 the trench being then filled in by the surface soil from 

 the adjoining trench, and the ground levelled properly 

 when the operation is completed. The application of 

 phosphatic and potassic manures in moderate quantities 

 is conducive to greater fertility as well as to the pro- 

 duction of fruits of better quality. The potassic manures, 

 in the shape of wood ashes at the rate of 10 kilos per are 

 (1000 kilos per hectare) or of kainit or chloride of potash 

 at the rate of 250 kilos p. hectare, may be applied every 

 four years in autumn in the interval between one trenching 

 and another. Phosphatic manures, as superphosphates 

 or Thomas's slag may be applied when trenching is 

 completed, before levelling the small heaps resulting 

 from the operation, in the proportion of 3 to 5 kilos per 

 are ( 3 to 5 quintals per hectare). The stimulating 

 influence of phosphatic manures is soon revealed by an 



