PEACHES. 197 



vember, or they may be preserved in sand, and plant- 

 ed in March : in this case the stones must be broken 

 open without injuring the kernel, which is the part to 

 be planted. In one year the seedlings may be trans- 

 planted in rows into the nursery, which may be done 

 either in autumn or spring. It is to be recollected, 

 that neither the stones nor seedling trees should be 

 planted on ground lately occupied by peach trees, un- 

 less the whole of the old roots be removed, and fresh 

 mould be put in to supply the place of the old. But 

 the most certain method of preserving a particular va- 

 riety is by budding ; peach trees thus obtained, al- 

 ways afford fruit in size, colour, and taste, exactly sim- 

 ilar to that of the tree from which the bud was taken, 

 and come sooner into a bearing state. Stocks, on which 

 peaches may be budded, besides those of their own 

 kind, are the almond, the apricot, and the plum. The 

 proper season for budding are the months of August 

 and September, and the operation is to be performed 

 in the manner directed for apples and pears. In two 

 or three years after budding, they bear fruit. In 

 taking up the young trees, care must be taken to pre- 

 serve the roots as much as possible. Such parts as 

 are bruised should be removed, and the small roots 

 may be shortened. It is important that the trees be 

 equally filled with side shoots from top to bottom ; 

 for when suffered to run up in single branches, the 

 trees in general are so weak and spongy, that they 

 are unable to bear good fruit. Accordingly when the 

 seedlings are about one year old, Mr. Forsyth recom- 

 mends to head them down to five or six'buds, or oth- 

 erwise to cut off the extremities of the leading shoots, 

 which will make them send out side shoots, and form 

 a handsome, fruitful tree. None of the shoots should 

 be suffered to grow too long during the first and sec- 

 ond years, which is easily prevented by pinching off 

 the tops of them with the fingers during the month 



