196 REACHES. 



eller. It is, however, more for the purpose of distill- 

 ery than the luxury ot the table, that this species of 

 fruit receives so much attention from our southern 

 brethren ; an excellent and highly-flavoured brandy 

 being obtained from it by distillation. It is exceed- 

 ingly to be regretted, that the peach tree of late 

 years has become liable to premature decay, and the 

 period of its duration is greatly diminished, inso- 

 much, that its continuance in a healthy bearing state 

 seldom exceeds three or four years. This misfortune 

 is increased by the circumstance, that a peach orchard 

 cannot be reared a second time on the same spot, un- 

 less the soil be renovated by several years' interme- 

 diate culture of other crops. The soil best adapted to 

 the peach tree is a mellow, sandy loam. Situations 

 naturally wet, or inclining to clay, are unfavourable. 

 Water should never be suffered to stand round the 

 roots of tender trees, especially in strong land, as it is 

 apt to produce the mildew, and destroy them. 



In England, peach trees are planted against a wall, 

 to which their branches are trained, and nailed either 

 in the fan form, or nearly horizontally, and being the 

 subjects of particular care and culture, it is not un- 

 common for peach trees to continue to produce annu- 

 al crops during forty years. 



The propagation of peach trees is accomplished ei- 

 ther by planting the stones or kernels, or by budding 

 on proper stocks. By the first method there is con- 

 stantly a great tendency to deviate from the nature of 

 the variety from which the seed was taken, and the 

 variety may be almost indefinitely increased. In Ma- 

 ryland and Virginia, this last mode is adopted without 

 budding, by which numerous varieties are obtained, 

 and among them are found some of superiour quality. 

 It, indeed, on some occasions happens, that the same 

 fruit is produced with that of the seed planted'. The 

 stones are planted in beds or drills, in October or No- 



