PEACHES AND NECTARINES LIFTING UNSATISFACTORY TREES. 105 



cool houses or as soon afterwards as the fruit is gathered, and on forced trees about 

 six weeks after they have been cleared of their crops. The effect is to check late 

 growth, promote the ripening of the wood, concentrate the sap on the buds, and incite 

 the emission of numberless fibres. When the leaves commence falling, carefully remove 

 the soil from the strong roots, not disturbing the fibres, and supply fresh loam with a 

 sprinkling of steamed bone meal, and make firm. This will induce fruitfulness without 

 placing the trees in jeopardy, and another year they may be lifted entirely because they 

 will have formed abundance of fibres, and any straight-down roots can then be safely 

 shortened. Trees in houses should be treated in the manner described every second or 

 third year, or every year whilst they are young, and disposed to make long and strong 

 growths. 



Complete lifting must be done with judgment. The roots must be kept as much 

 from the air as possible whilst fresh drainage and compost is being brought in. This 

 border renovation is very effectual in recuperating old and weakly trees, and if resorted 

 to from time to time, as occasion requires, will keep the trees healthy for many years. 

 A liberal watering should follow lifting operations to settle the soil about the roots. 



AILMENTS. 



Peach and nectarine trees suffer from morbid affections other than those directly 

 attributable to disease, and may be usefully alluded to. 



1. Cankerous Affection of Stem and Large Branches. This must not be confounded 

 with the canker of the apple and pear. The bark first becomes hard, then cracks, 

 forming irregular patches, and exposes the wood. The injuries may arise from sunburn, 

 blows, or severe frost, aggravated by ungenial soil, excess of water causing sappy growth, 

 and, in some cases, too much iron. Soil defects must be remedied, and wounds on the 

 stems pared smooth close to where the bark adheres to the wood, covering the bare 

 portion, and surrounding the bark with a plaster of clay and fresh cow manure, which 

 assists in covering the wounds with new bark. 



2. Excrescences on the Roots. In some instances, especially in gravelly soil, the roots 

 form a number of wart-like knots and swollen rings at some distance from the stem. 

 The protuberances often produce adventitious buds in clusters, and push suckers. 

 These are attended by decreased vigour in the tree, which becomes stunted in growth. 

 The only remedy is better soil, coupled with lifting the trees, and cutting out the 

 worst affected parts, then replanting. The evil is most prevalent in outdoor trees, 



VOL. in. p 



