286 COME INTO THE GARDEN 



starting to swell the instant the warm sun of 

 late winter shines on them, they are nipped by 

 the frost of early spring. 



The only means of overcoming this general 

 tendency is to select a site for trees of this 

 species which is unfavorable to the very early 

 development of their flower buds. It is never 

 the warm corners that they should have, with 

 full sun, but the chilly places and northern ex- 

 posure. This does not mean of course that full 

 exposure to the roughest winds of winter is 

 proper, but it does mean that the tendency to 

 coddle must be inhibited. Perhaps the best 

 place for either the apricot or the nectarine is 

 trained in the old-world fashion on a garden 

 wall or the side of a building. But this should 

 never be of southern exposure. Rather let it 

 be west or north, with protective branches of 

 evergreens set up, if it is the latter, to screen it 

 from the strongest of winter winds — or even a 

 screen planting of evergreens inclosing the site 

 at some distance to protect it from hard winds 

 at any time. This is indeed a wise protection 

 of all fruits of the stone class — save the cherries, 

 which are hardy enough to endure anything. 



Peaches, apricots, and nectarines require 

 practically the same soil, being close relatives; 

 this should preferably be light and sandy and 



