in Cold Houses, ^'c. 207 



commence training the trees, rubbing off all eyes below these 

 three, if it is deemed desirable to have handsome shaped spec- 

 imens. 



Fan-training, I think, is the best adapted to the peach, and 

 though most gardeners adopt this plan, few of them seem to 

 carry it out in a proper manner ; for, in a great many instances 

 which have come under my observation, a great portion of 

 the trees are unsightly objects, having lost their centre stem 

 before they have grown three or four feet from the bottom of 

 the trellis, and all shoots are laid in, whether they happen to 

 be front or lower, spoiling the regular and beautiful appear- 

 ance which a well trained tree always presents. 



Commence training the top eye as it starts to grow, per- 

 pendicular, and the side ones in rather an oblique direction, 

 and, when the centre shoot has grown about two feet, it should 

 be stopped again to cause it to start out lateral shoots. The 

 first year I think it is as well to tie in nearly all the wood 

 the tree makes, as it encourages the roots to lay in a good sup- 

 ply of food, to support the tree another year, while, on the 

 other hand, if there was not much foliage to elaborate the sap, 

 the roots would remain partially inactive, not exercising half 

 the functions they would otherwise have to perform where the 

 tree was covered with foliage, and growing vigorously. I 

 think it is of vast importance to try to establish the trees the 

 first year. The trees will have to be examined once a month 

 through the growing season, to tie in all shoots to the trellis that 

 require it, and be particular to give plenty of air through the day, 

 shutting up close at night, unless the weather is warm ; in 

 that case, air may be left on night and day. Syringe freely 

 twice a week with pure water, and water the house inside so 

 that the earth will not look dry or parched. 



About the first of January will be the time to commence 

 pruning the trees for the next or second season, cutting down 

 the centre shoot to within eight eyes from where it started 

 from the last season. 



The side shoots should also be cut in to two or four eyes, 

 according to their strength : during the summer, all laterals 

 which spring from these, on either the front or loicer side, should 

 be cut close in as soon as they appear, laying in only those 

 which spring from the upper side, and these at regular dis- 



