310 NECTARINE. 



It is generally allowed that their failure is occasioned by 

 the attacks of insects. The most efficacious method that I 

 have heard of, for securing any thing like a crop of 

 Nectarines, is to fumigate the trees in the evening, when 

 the air is calm and serene, at the season when this fruit is 

 ready to set, see pages 244 to 250. Tobacco is the most 

 effectual antidote for these insects ; butafrien'd of mine collec- 

 ted a quantity of salt hay that had been used for his spinach 

 the preceding Winter; with this he created a smoke, first on 

 one side of his plantation, and afterwards on the other, by 

 which means he obtained a good supply of fruit. Our 

 enterprising horticulturist, Mr. W. Shaw, has succeeded in 

 gathering fine fruit, by pursuing the English plan, namelyi 

 in training his trees against a close fence ; and it has been 

 discovered by others, that the Nectarine, like the Grape 

 Vine, will yield best in sheltered situations. That eminent 

 horticulturist, Mr. David Thomas, observes, that ** a vast 

 quantity of fruitis annually destroyed by by tlieCurculio which 

 causes the Plum, Apricot and Nectarine, prematurely to 

 drop from the tree. To prevent this loss, let the tree after 

 the blossoms fall, be frequently shaken by a cord connected 

 with a swinging door, or with a working pump-handle, &c. ; 

 or let the bugs be jarred from the tree and killed. Or keep 

 geese enough in the fruit garden to devour all the dama- 

 ged fruit as it falls. We know that this last method i 

 infallible." 



As some may object to shaking or jarring fruit trees, for 

 fear of disturbing the fruit, such are here reminded, that if 

 the blossoms set more fruit than can be supported, it will not 

 come to full perfection, and the trees may be injured in their 

 future bearing ; for these reasons, when fruit sets too thick* 

 it shQuldbe thinned in an early stage of its growth. 



The Nectarine, as also the Peach tree, are subject to injury 

 by an insect different to the Curculio species, which feeds on 

 sap beneath the bark, principally near the surface of the 

 earth ; but if not checked, will commit ravages on the trunk 

 and root, so as eventually to destroy the tree. The egg i s 

 supposed to be first deposited in the upper part of the tree ; 

 and in the months of June and July, it becomes a very small 



