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THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



NECKLACE-TREE. See Ormosia. 



NECKWEED. A popular name for Cannabis sativa. 



NECTANDRA (from nektar, nectar, and aner. 

 andros, a male (stamen) ; in reference to the three nectari- 

 ferous barren stamens). STN. Porostema. OBD. Laurinece. 

 A genus comprising about seventy species of trees, or rarely 

 shrubs, inhabiting tropical America from Brazil and Peru 

 as far as Mexico, the West Indies, and sub-tropical South 

 America. Flowers axillary or terminal, pedunculate. 

 Leaves alternate, scattered or rarely sub-opposite, coria- 

 ceous, penniveined ; primary veins often, not always, more 

 prominent than in Ocotea. The only species worthy of 

 mention here is N. Rodicei, the Bibisi-tree or Green- 

 heart of British Guiana. It is a lofty tree, from 60ft. 

 to 70ft. high, and is frequently without branches for the 

 first 50ft. The most valuable part of the tree is its 

 timber, which is imported in large quantities for ship- 

 building purposes. 



NECTAR. The sweetish secretion of various parts 

 of blossoms, which forms the staple food of many insects, 

 notably bees, butterflies, and moths. For the manner 

 in which this secretion is produced, and its utility to 

 the plant itself, see Nectary. Nectar is not, as com- 

 monly supposed, identical with honey, although, as 

 furnished by many plants, it is the material from which 

 bees make the latter. Analysis has shown the sugar 

 of Nectar to be, very generally, cane sugar, while that 

 of honey is grape sugar, consisting of dextrose and 

 lovulose, in equal proportions. The conversion of the 

 cane sugar is brought about by an admixture of salivary 

 secretion at the time the Nectar is sucked up. This 

 conversion has been well made out in the case of bees ; 

 and, since larger animals and man are known to convert 

 cane sugar into grape sugar, as an initial process in 

 digestion, it is probable that butterflies and moths effect 

 the same changes as the bee. 



NECTARINE. The Nectarine is a form or variety 

 of the Peach, distinguished from it in general charac- 

 ters only by the fruits having a smooth instead of a 

 rough skin. For example, the same tree has, at times, 

 produced fruit of both kinds on the same branch ; and 

 even a closer relationship has been recorded in a single 

 fruit being half a Nectarine and half a Peach. Nectarines 

 are, however, sufficiently distinct, in flavour and general 

 appearance, to be constituted and considered as a sepa- 

 rate fruit, both for dessert and for exhibition purposes. 



Propagation. Nectarines and Peaches are propagated 

 from the stones or seeds ; by budding ; and sometimes 

 by grafting. The first-named method is employed for 

 raising new varieties, and also for growing stocks whereon 

 other sorts may be worked. 



Seeds may be sown under a wall, in a warm position, 

 in autumn, or may be stratified throughout the winter, 

 and sown in early spring. On a small scale, or for 

 special purposes, they may be inserted in pots at the 

 last-named season, forwarded in a little heat, and the 

 seedlings then planted out where they are intended to 

 remain. As stocks, they often grow large enough for 

 budding the first year, and, if properly treated, they may 

 be expected to bear fruit when three years old. When 

 seeds of either the Nectarine or Peach are sown, it is 

 uncertain whether the product will be a form of the one 

 or the other ; consequently, named varieties cannot be 

 perpetuated by this method. 



Budding is the best and most largely-adopted plan 

 for propagating the fruits under notice. This is prac- 

 tised with what is termed a " dormant " bud in July 

 and August, or a " pushing " bud in April or May. Some 

 shoots with buds must be retarded for use in spring, 

 by being cut early in the season, and buried in sand, 

 under a north wall. It is necessary that only wood-buds 

 be selected and employed: the embryo blossom-buds are 

 useless. 



Nectarine continued. 



Grafting may be successfully practised in spring. The 

 scions should be firm and short-jointed, and be taken 

 early in the season, with a portion of two-year-old wood 

 attached ; they must be retarded until the sap in the 

 stock begins to move. On dwarf stocks, whip-grafting 

 may be practised ; and, after the mutilated parts are 

 fitted, and covered with clay, the latter should have 

 earth heaped over it, to preserve a uniform moisture. 

 If it is desired to graft standard stocks that are much 

 larger than the small dwarf ones, the method of crown- 

 grafting may be adopted, the grafts being inserted at 

 any height desired. 



Nectarines and Peaches may be budded or grafted on 

 the seedling stocks of the Peach, the Almond, and the 

 Plum. The Peach stock is insufficiently hardy, and is not 

 much used, as, although the buds take freely, and do 

 well for a time, the trees do not long succeed without 

 being overtaken by a disease termed the "yellows." 

 This is, however, much more prevalent in America than 

 in this country. The Sweet Almond belongs to the same 

 genus as the Nectarine and Peach, and all the varieties 

 of the two last-named fruits succeed well on it as a stock, 

 usually in preference to the Plum, which is, however, 

 much more extensively employed. The Almond stocks are 

 raised like the Peach, and may be budded when one year 

 old. Tall standard stems may soon be grown, by keeping 

 the plants tied upright and allowing them to grow away 

 at will. Plum stocks are those generally used, and they 

 answer better in various localities, on account of their 

 hardiness. The Mussel, St. Julian, Black Damask, and 

 White Pear Plums, amongst others, are used as stocks 

 for Peaches. Some of them are stronger-growing than 

 others, and varieties of fruits budded on them have 

 similar peculiarities. By many of the French growers, 

 the Black Damask is preferred; and this, with the St. 

 Julian, Mussel, and White Pear, may be considered the 

 best. 



Situation and Soil. The climate of this country will not 

 admit of the Nectarine and Peach being cultivated in the 

 open ground ; except in the most favoured localities, a 

 wall with south aspect, or even glass protection, becomes 

 a necessity. The trees may possibly live, and make 

 some growth ; but, for fruit production, it is all-important 

 that the wood annually made should also be thoroughly 

 ripened in autumn. Some protection against the evil 

 influences of frost and cold easterly winds on the early- 

 expanding blossoms, is also necessary, in spring, and 

 this is most readily applied over trees on walls. In 

 the warmest parts of the country, where the situation 

 is not too much exposed to wind, or, on the other hand, 

 to cold fogs in spring, Peach or Nectarine-trees may 

 be planted against walls with an east or a west aspect ; 

 but a situation fully exposed to the south is that which 

 is necessary in the majority of cases. In the general 

 arrangement of kitchen gardens, the principal walls 

 should be built so as to receive as much sunshine as 

 possible, and the very best position has usually to be 

 accorded the fruits under notice. The special prepara- 

 tion of fruit borders throughout entails considerable 

 labour at first; but the results generally repay the 

 trouble, both by the better success attending the trees 

 planted therein, and also the important crops con- 

 tinually succeeding each other in the cultivated part 

 farthest from the wall. Fruit borders, to be of use for 

 other crops should not be less than 12ft. wide, as nothing 

 should be planted, nor even the ground kept dug, within 

 3ft. of the wall, supposing the trees are there. A soil 

 enriched with manure is not desirable, as it tends 

 to produce an undue, sappy growth, which lacks 

 blossom buds, and, moreover, does not becdme ripened. 

 An open, loamy soil is the most appropriate, not too 

 light, on account of being easily dried up, nor, on the 

 other hand, composed of stiff clay : the trees cannot 



