582 THE PEACH AND NECTARINE. 



peach, as a standard in its native country, has to bear at the blossom- 

 ing period of the season. Most of these methods have now given place 

 to glass walls, or moveable screens of glass, which have the great merit 

 of being water-tight, and can readily be made air-proof. Glass screens 

 in skilful hands can hardly fail to ensure a crop, and in the end are 

 the cheapest of all protecting expedients. 



Growing the Peach on a Fined Wall. The fires should not be 

 applied until the trees are in flower. The internal heat is most useful 

 in resisting the frost. They likewise render good service in accele- 

 rating the ripening of the fruit and wood in autumn. The maturation 

 of the wood may, in some cases in low wet lying localities, require the 

 border to be thatched to throw off heavy rains, and lessen the flow of 

 moisture to the shoots. 



The acceleration of the ripening of a crop of peaches on a common 

 wall has been effected by covering the border, to the width of five or 

 six feet from the bottom of the wall, with tiles ; the reflection of the 

 heat from which has been found to ripen the fruit in the lower part of 

 the wall, a fortnight before that on the upper part. The retardation 

 of a crop may be effected by interposing a screen of canvas, or boards, 

 or any other convenient medium between the trees and the sun. It 

 should, however, be placed merely as a screen, and not as a preventive 

 against the escape of radiant heat from the wall and ground, a prin- 

 cipal object in spring covering ; when retardation is required, the screen 

 should be placed so as to intercept the sun's rays, leaving at the same 

 time an opening at top for the escape of radiant heat. 



Gathering should take place a day or two before the fruit is to be 

 used, and before it is dead ripe, and it should be laid on clean paper 

 in the fruit-room. Peaches may be gathered in the heat of the day 

 without any deterioration of flavour ; in this respect they are very 

 different from such northern fruits as the gooseberry, currant, and 

 strawberry, which should be gathered in the morning. Provision 

 for the dropping of ripe fruit should be made by the suspension of 

 netting, or by providing a soft bed of hay or moss, to save it from 

 bruising. 



Diseases, Insects, &c. The peach and nectarine are liable to the 

 honey-dew, mildew, gum, blister, and canker. The mildew may be 

 destroyed by watering the leaves and dusting them with sulphur ; but 

 little can be done with other diseases, excepting taking care that the 

 regimen is suitable. The blister is produced by cold when the 

 leaves are just expanding, and it thickens and distorts them in 

 such a manner as to prevent the proper elaboration of the sap. No- 

 thing can be done with them but taking them off, as soon as warmer 

 weather favours the production of healthier foliage. Lifting the trees 

 and replanting them in fresh soil, and taking care that the shoots are 

 annually thoroughly ripened, will check incipient canker and gum, 

 and enable trees tainted with these diseases to continue bearing for 

 some years longer than they otherwise would have done. The red 

 spider, the chermes, the black and green aphis, and the coccus, attack 

 the peach. The last should be washed off by syringing with soft-soap 



