PEACHES AND NECTARINES PROTECTING THE BLOSSOMS. 81 



and the figure with references to S show all that is required. The main thing is to 

 avoid over-crowding, which is ruinous to the trees. 



In priming full -sized or old trees, it is desirable to remove weak, bare, and mis- 

 placed branches, and train-in new and better wood. The disposal of the main and 

 subsidiary branches is similar to that represented in Fig. 23, page 59, Vol. II. Suffi- 

 cient space should be allowed in the shreds or ties for the proper swelling of the 



branches and shoots. 







Protecting the Blossoms. Cold wind and frost often cripple the flowers, young 

 fruits, and foliage. If the blossoms are kept dry, frost is not so injurious. Various 

 methods of providing efficient protection are given in Vol. L. page 193, but it may be 

 reiterated that a moveable glass coping about 2| feet wide, or coping boards about 

 18 inchos wide, fixed on brackets near the top of the wall during the time the trees 

 are blossoming, and allowed to remain until the end of May or early in June, render 

 the protection more effectual by throwing off rain and dew. A double or treble 

 thickness of herring-nets may hang down from the edge of the coping, and remain 

 until danger from frost and cold winds is past ; but scrim canvas, wool netting, 

 tiffany, frigi-domo or other material which excludes light must be removed on all 

 favourable occasions. The too common mistakes made are (1) using the covering in 

 mild weather, when the trees cannot be too fully exposed ; (2) not employing it early in 

 the evenings when there is a prospect of frost; and (3) in withdrawing it before the 

 frost is gone in the morning. What is needed is safety from frost and cold, otherwise 

 the less protection by opaque material the better. Protection must be employed when 

 the blossom buds commence opening and before the petals break through, and it must 

 be continued as occasion requires until spring frosts are gone. 



Disbudding. This has been referred to, both under u Training" and "Pruning/' but 

 we wish to emphasise its importance here. Its object is to encourage the enlargement 

 of the fruit, and make provision for the succeeding year's crop b}^ the removal of all 

 superfluous shoots at an early stage. Over-crowding must also be prevented by 

 pinching refractory laterals and unruly growths, so that the wood and fruit will 

 receive the needful light and air to ripen them. (See " Disbudding," Vol. I., page 

 186.) 



Thinning the Fruit. More fruits than it is advisable to allow to remain generally 

 set on peach and nectarine trees. Thinning should commence when the best fruits 

 approach the size of horse beans, again when about the size of marbles, and finally for 



VOL. Ill, M 



