488 



AMYGDALACE^E. II. PKRSICA. 



that the most perfect and vigorous offspring will be obtained of 

 plants as of animals, when the male and female parent are not 

 too closely related to each other. Some excellent papers on 

 this subject will be found in the Hort. Trans, vol. 1. by T. A. 

 Knight. 'l'\\e peach does not, like many other species of fruits, 

 much exercise the patience of the gardener who raises it from 

 the seed ; for it may always be made to bear when 3 years old. 

 In prosecuting such experiments, Mr. Knight recommends the 

 seedling peach trees to be retained in pots, and buds from them 

 only to be inserted in older trees ; for their rapid and luxuriant 

 growth is extremely troublesome on a wall, and pruning is death 

 to them. Mr. Knight, by leaving on the lateral branches near 

 the extremities of the shoots, and by exposing the leaves as 

 much as possible to the sun, in order to promote the growth and 

 ripening of the wood, procured blossom-buds the first year 

 from seed. 



Propagation to perpetuate varieties. The peach is generally 

 budded on Damask-plum stocks, and some of the more delicate 

 sorts on apricot stocks, or old apricot trees cut down, or on 

 seedling peaches, almonds, or nectarines. Knight recommends 

 growing almond stocks for the finer nectarines and apricots, as 

 likely to prevent the mildew, and as being allied to the peach. 

 He says, " almond stocks should be raised and retained in the 

 nursery in pots, as they do not transplant well." Perform the 

 budding in July and August, in the side of the stock, one bud 

 in each : they should be inserted near the bottom for the prin- 

 cipal wall-trees, and at the height of 3 or 4 or 5 feet for riders. 

 The bud will shoot the following spring, and attain the length of 

 3 or 4 feet in the summer's growth. After the budded trees 

 have ripened the first year's shoot, they may either be planted 

 where they are to remain, or be trained in the nursery for 2, 3, 

 or 1 years, till in a bearing state. Whether the plants be re- 

 moved into the garden at a year old, or remain longer in the 

 nursery, the first year's shoot from the budding must be headed 

 down, either early in June the same year, to gain a season, or 

 in March following, to 4, 5, or 6 eyes, to produce lateral shoots, 

 with 1 upright leader to begin the formation of the head in a 

 fan-like expansion ; the second year's shoot should also be 

 shortened to a few eyes at the return of June or March ; and 

 those also of the third year in such degree as may seem ex- 

 pedient. 



Soil. A good soil for peach trees, according to Abercrombie, 

 " is composed of 3 parts mellow unexhausted loam, and 1 part 

 drift sand, moderately enriched with vegetable mould. If the 

 soil be lean and poor, and at the same time light, have the 

 borders improved by decomposed dung and fertile mellow earth ; 

 if the ground be strong and heavy, add some light earth or 

 dung ; if very gravelly, remove the grossest part, excavating 

 to the proper depth, and in the same proportion apply a com- 

 post as above. Let the soil be made good to the depth of 30 

 inches or 3 feet. The nectarine wants the warmer, richer, and 

 deeper soil, if any difference be made. Bad cold ground or 

 an exhausted mould, is often the cause of the trees gumming." 

 Forsyth says, " Peaches require a lighter soil than pears and 

 plums, and a light mellow loam is best." 



Choice of plants.- Abercrombie, Forsyth, Nicol, and most 

 authors agree in recommending the choice of trees, 2, 3, or 4 

 years trained. Forsyth says they should be procured in the 

 latter end of October or beginning of November, as soon as the 

 leaf begins to fall. 



Final planting. The peach is almost universally planted 

 against walls in Britain ; in some few warm situations they have 

 been tried as dwarf standards or as low espaliers, covering with 

 mats in spring to protect their blossoms. Early autumn planting 

 is best on dry soils. Spring planting may be successfully per- 

 formed in February and March, but the sooner the better, that 



the trees may take root immediately before the dry warm weather 

 commences. 



Modi- of bearing. " All the varieties of the peach and nec- 

 tarine bear the fruit upon the young wood of a year old ; the 

 blossom-buds arise immediately from the eyes of the shoots. 

 The same shoot seldom bears after the first year, except on some 

 casual small spurs on the two years wood, which is not to be 

 counted upon. Hence the trees are to be pruned as bearing 

 entirely on the shoots of the preceding year, and a full supply 

 of every year's shoots must be trained in for successional bearers 

 the following season." 



The summer pruning. In May and June, and occasionally in 

 the succeeding months, is to regulate the shoots of the same 

 year, and to prevent improper growths by rubbing off the buds. 

 Pinch off fore-right buds or shoots, and pinch off or cut out, ill 

 placed, very weakly, spongy or deformed shoots, and very strong 

 luxuriant growths, retaining a plentiful supply of good lateral 

 shoots in all parts of the tree, and leaving a leader to each 

 branch. Let them mostly be trained in at full length all sum- 

 mer, about 3 inches asunder for next year's bearers, and divest 

 them of any lateral twigs, to prevent a thicket-like intricacy, 

 and to promote a healthy fruitful growth in the shoots left. 

 In the course of the summer regulation, if any partial vacancy 

 occurs, or should a young tree under training want an additional 

 supply of wood, shorten some conveniently placed strong shoot 

 in June to a few eyes, to furnish a supply of laterals the same 

 season. 



The winter-pruning may be performed at the fall of the leaf, 

 and thence, according to some professional writers, at any time 

 in mild weather until spring. It should be completed in Fe- 

 bruary, or early in March, before the blossom-buds are consi- 

 derably advanced, which are distinguishable by being round, 

 plump, and prominent, while the leaf and shoot-buds are oblong 

 and narrow. There is some advantage in pruning when the 

 blossom-buds can be certainly known. Retain in all parts of 

 the tree a competent supply of such regular grown shoots of 

 last year as are apparently fruitful in blossom-buds. Most 

 parts of these should be shortened, not indiscriminately, but 

 according to their strength and situation ; the very strong shoots 

 should be left longest, being topped about one-fourth or one- 

 third of their length ; shoots of middling vigour reduce one- 

 third or one-half, and prune the very weak to 2 or 3 buds. 

 Always cut at a shoot-bud, to advance for a leader ; sometimes 

 a shoot-bud lies between a twin blossom-bud ; cut half an inch 

 above the bud. As many new shoots as will lay from 3 to 6 

 inches asunder may be deemed a competent supply for next 

 year's bearers. Cut out quite close the redundant, irregular, 

 and other improper shoots ; remove or reduce some part of the 

 former bearers of the two preceding years ; cutting the most 

 naked quite away, and others down to the most eligible younger 

 branch or well-placed shoot. Also take out all diseased and 

 dead wood, retaining young where necessary to fill a vacuity. In 

 cold and late situations, T.A. Knight recommends a mode of prun- 

 ing adapted to obtain fruit-bearing spurs on the peach, and these 

 spurs he finds best calculated in such situations and late seasons 

 to generate well organised and vigorous blossoms. " Instead 

 of taking off so large a portion of the young shoots, and training 

 in a few only, to a considerable length, as is usually done, and as 

 1 should myself do, to a great extent in the vicinity of London, 

 and in every favorable situation, I preserve a large number of 

 the young shoots, which are emitted in a proper direction, in 

 early spring by the yearling wood, shortening each where neces- 

 sary, by pinching off the minute succulent points, generally to 

 the length of 1 or 2 inches. Spurs which lie close to the wall 

 are thus made, upon which numerous blossom-buds form very 

 early in the ensuing summer. It is only in cold and late situa- 



