134 



Commercial Gardening 



mercial grower. The houses in which Peaches are grown are either 

 "lean-to" or "span". In the former case the trees are planted on the 

 side farthest from the wall, as shown in fig. 370, the shoots being 

 trained up wires beneath the glass, and 12 to 15 in. from it. To secure 

 an early crop, hot-water pipes are necessary, and from four to six rows 

 of 4 -in. pipes are laid along the sides and down the centre. In the 

 case of span-roofed houses the trees are planted along each side about 

 12 ft. apart, thus giving each a spread of 6 ft. on either side. The length 

 of Peach houses varies for market work from 100 to 200 ft. and more, 

 and small houses may be only 

 12 ft. wide and 6 to 8 ft. high 

 from floor to ridge. In many 

 establishments houses for- 

 merly used for grapes are 



Fig. 370. Early Peach House. Scale J in. to 1 foot 



now being utilized for Peach growing. The low prices realized for grapes 

 of late years have brought about this change, and wherever an old Vine 

 is cut out, a Peach or Nectarine takes its place. It is therefore possible 

 that the Peach houses of the future may be the grape houses of the 

 past, and may be any size up to 500 or 600 ft. long and 20 to 30 ft. 

 wide. (See the Plate.) 



Before planting, it is advisable to turn the soil over to a depth of 

 at least 2 ft., but 3 ft. would be better, especially if the soil is at all 

 retentive. Stagnant moisture at the roots would be a great drawback, 

 and can only be got rid of by deep cultivation to secure good drainage 

 and greater warmth for the root fibres. The soil should be of a rich 

 loamy character, if possible, and if not naturally rich in chalk or lime 

 this should be added. Old mortar rubble is an excellent thing to mix 



