ORCHARD HOUSES. 



349 



ORCHARD HOUSES. 



to the culture of trees planted in the bor- 

 ders. 



Peaches and nectarines, planted as py- 

 ramids in the border, require to be lifted 

 annually, and replanted with a little fresh 

 compost the last week in October. Mini- 

 ature peach, nectarine, and apricot-trees, 

 grafted on the black damask plum stock, 

 are placed in a garden frame in January. 

 As soon as their young shoots have 

 made four leaves, their ends are 



from swelling. Paint every bud and shoot, 

 before it swells, with Gishurst's compound!, 

 half a pound to the gallon of water, to 

 destroy eggs of insects. 



Continuing this mode of culture, re- 

 ! commended by Mr. Rivers, from the 

 autumn after grafting, till the fourth or 

 ! fifth year, when the trees are beginning to 

 ! show fruit buds, these, which it is the 

 object of this training to promote, are 

 1 distributed along the branches, in their 



SECTION AND END ELEVATION OF SPAN-ROOFED ORCHARD HOUSE. 



pinched off, leaving their leaves, and 

 all succeeding shoots, pinched off to 

 one leaf. In January the house must be 

 closed day and night. If at any time the 

 registering thermometer indicates a night 

 temperature of 20, some dry hay or litter 

 should be placed among and over the pots 

 or borders. If the trees are inclined to 

 shrivel from drought, give a quart of water 

 in the morning. If snow falls, clear the 

 glass of it. In bright, sunny weather 

 open the ventilators to check early buds 



whole length, in spur-bearing fruit, as the 

 apple and pear. In the peach tribe, short 

 spur-like shoots appear towards the end 

 of August, bearing triple buds a plump, 

 silvery one on each side, and a thin one in 

 the centre. This central bud is the termi- 

 nal leaf bud ; the two others, blossom 

 buds, which, in March, will have opened 

 their silvery coat, showing the bright 

 pink of the blossom. These indications 

 appear in the third year after planting. 

 Their development is promoted by care- 



