2 ^ 2 THE NURSERY-BOOK. 



Peach (Prunus Persica) Rosacece. 



The peacn is perhaps the easiest to propagate of all north- 

 ern fruit trees. Stocks are universally grown from seeds, 

 although root-cuttings will grow. The seeds should be 

 buried out-doors in the fall, and shallow enough so that they 

 will be fully exposed to frost. Some prefer to simply spread 

 them upon the surface of the ground and cover them lightly 

 with straw to prevent them from drying out. The pits 

 should be kept moist, and by spring most of them will be 

 cracked. These which do not open should be cracked by 

 hand, for if planted they will not germinate until a year 

 later than the others The "meats" or kernels are sorted 

 out and planted early in drills. Or some prefer to sprout the 

 seeds in the house, in order to select the best for planting. 

 Some growers upon a small scale pinch off the tip of the 

 rootlet to make the root branch. Pits should be secured, of 

 course, from strong and healthy trees, but the opinion that 

 "natural seed, 1 ' or that from unbudded trees, is necessarily 

 best, is unfounded. 



The seeds should be planted in rich soil, and the stocks 

 will be large enough to bud the same year. Airy which are 

 not large enough to bud may be cut back to the ground the 

 next spring, and one shoot be allowed to grow for budding , 

 but such small stocks are usually destroyed, as it does not 

 pay to bestow the extra labor and use of land upon them 

 When the buds have grown one season, the trees are ready 

 for sale at one year from the bud and two years from the 

 seed. Peach trees are always shield-budded, and the opera- 

 tion is fully described on pages 68 to 75. Grafting can be 

 done, but as budding is so easily performed, there is no occa- 

 sion for it. The peach shoots are so pithy that, in making 

 cions, it is well to leave a portion of the old wood upon the 

 lower end extending part way up the cut to give the cion 

 strength 



Peaches are nearly always worked upon peaches in this 

 country Plums are occasionly employed for damp and 

 strong soils. Myrobolan is sometimes used, but it cannot be 

 recommended. All plums dwarf the peach more or less. 

 The hard-shell almond is a good stock 'for very light and dry 

 soils The Peen-to and similar peaches are worked upon 

 common peach stocks 



The nectarine is propagated in exactly the same manner as 

 the peach. The ornamental peaches are budded upon com- 

 mon peach-stocks in the same manner as the fruit-bearing 

 sorts 



For Prunus Simoni, see Plum. 



