PEACHES AND NECTARINES TIME OF STARTING THE '~f &$; Yoi- 



supply of fruit. To have fruit of these varieties ripe in May, start the trees into 

 growth early in December ; start with the new year for a supply of fruit in June ; early 

 in February for early July ; and early March for mid- July ; then the supply may be 

 continued by allowing trees to start naturally, and with no more assistance from fire 

 heat than is necessary to insure the safety of the crops which, of the choicest second 

 early and midseason varieties, attain the highest excellence from early August into 

 September ; and from that period the succession is maintained into October by the late 

 varieties naturally started, freely ventilated, and assisted only by artificial heat at 

 blossoming-time, in cold periods, and at the ripening stage, if necessary. Unheated 

 houses answer in warm locations, but not in the cold and low districts of the country, for 

 a supply of late fruit. 



The production of ripe peaches by late April or early May is rendered compara- 

 tively easy and less costly by relying on the early instead of the second early and mid- 

 season varieties. A house containing trees of the earliest varieties, started at the new 

 year, will afford a supply of fruit at the time named under ordinary forcing conditions, 

 and if the forcing is only gentle, the fruit will ripen early in June. This slight forcing 

 is much better for the trees, and their regular cropping in consecutive years is more 

 certain than when hard forcing is resorted to. If the early sorts are to be succeeded 

 by the second early and midseason varieties, the house containing the latter must be 

 started at the same time as that of the first, so as to maintain the succession unbroken. 

 But the demand for ripe fruit early, midseason, and late varies in different establish- 

 ments, so that no particular rule can be framed to meet all requirements ; therefore, some 

 judgment is needed to so employ the means as to insure the best supply of fruit at the 

 time it is required. 



Temperature and Ventilation. No fruit tree, except the apricot, is more sensitive to 

 heat than the peach and nectarine, and these must not be hurried during the early 

 stages. Closing of the house, excluding frost at night and maintaining a temperature 

 of 45 to 50 by day, are sufficient during the first two weeks, and these temperatures 

 must not be exceeded without full ventilation. This is preparatory to forcing, and 

 is essential to early-forced trees. It is an old and good practice to employ a heap 

 of sweetened fermenting material on the floor of the house until the flowers expand, 

 so as to maintain genial moisture and gentle warmth ; but the work of turning the 

 material and additions to it must be very carefully carried out after the blossoms show 

 colour, otherwise the ammonia vapour may injure them. After the fortnight's inductive 



