A M Y 



A M Y 



forefinger over the mouth of the pipe, to spread 

 the water very fine. In this way the trees may 

 he kept clean and free from insects. The sprink- 

 lincr should not, however, be performed when the 

 sun is on them, nor too late in the evening, 

 as in the former case the leaves arc liable to be 

 scorched, and in the latter the mildew is apt to be 

 brought on the tender sorts of pcach-fces. 

 When any of the trees are infected, leave off 

 sprinkling them, or let clear lime-water be ap- 

 plied, but this should only be done in warm wea- 

 ther. Frequent sprinkling the trees with lime- 

 water, and throwing it plentifully on the under- 

 side of the leaves, has been found in a short time 

 to extirpate the acarus, or red spider, which is 

 so destructive to peach-trees. 



It is likewise advised to keep the fruit well 

 shaded, and never to suffer the leaves to be pick- 

 ed off till the fruit be grown to its full size, when 

 some of them may be taken off, to let the fruit 

 attain its natural colour, as once a week, in a 

 gradual manner; by which means, the fruit will 

 continue much longer in succession than if they 

 were picked off all at once. 



It is considered as a bad practice to pick off 

 the leaves of these trees before the fruit is grown 

 to its natural size, as the shade of the leaves as- 

 sists the fruit very much ; and, wherever the leaves 

 are picked off, the fruit is small, stunted, and 

 ill-flavoured. It is found of utility against ear- 

 wigs and other insects, to hang up short pieces of 

 bean-stalks tied together before the trees, pre- 

 vious to the fruit's beginning to ripen; as by 

 that means they may be collected and destroyed. 



Any canker that may be in the old bark where 

 the branch was amputated, is likewise recom- 

 mended to be carefully removed. 



The vegetable disease termed the canker is 

 very liable to attack peach-trees, in which it is of 

 a brown colour ; and, in the bark, it appears in 

 small specks or dots, as if made with a pen. All 

 these are recommended to be cut out clean ; for 

 if any part of the canker remain it will affect 

 the new wood as it begins to grow. Wherever 

 gum is seen oozing, it maybe concluded that the 

 canker is not completely eradicated from the 

 tree. — See Canker. 



The blight is a disease with which peach-trees 

 are liable to be affected, and by which the leaves 

 are shriveled or curled up and much thickened. 

 It arises from the imperfect nourishment and 

 growth of the trees, from insects, and other 

 causes, and is to be remedied by altering the 

 state of the trees, removing the diseased leaves, 

 washing with water in the heat of the day, or fu- 

 migating with tobacco smoke, &c. — See Blight. 



Though trees of this kind begin to bear fruit 

 the seconder third year, they may be considered 



in a state of training to their sixth or sventh, and 

 will continue from thirty or forty to fifty or six- 

 ty years, especially when raised on plum-stocks 

 in good bearing, where proper care and attention 

 is bestowed in their management. And it is as- 

 serted by some, that the fruit of such old trees 

 is much finer flavoured than such as is produced 

 on young trees. Garden plants of the smaller 

 kinds, that are taken off early in the spring, may 

 be occasionally grown on the borders about them ; 

 and in the culture of the peach tree a little dung 

 should occasionally be inserted in digging over 

 the borders. 



Forcing of Peaches. — Besides the method of 

 raising these trees against walls in the open air, 

 they are frequently cultivated in forcing-frames, 

 hot-walls, and houses constructed for the purpose, 

 in order to have the fruit more early. The first 

 of these modes is not, however, to be much re- 

 commended. Mr. Nicol, in his Forcing Gardener, 

 strongly objects to oiled paper frames, and frames 

 placed against flued walls without front flues ; 

 to the first, on account of its darkness, and in- 

 capability of admitting the rays of light and free 

 air, both of which are so indispensably necessa- 

 ry to the health and vigour of the trees ; and to 

 the second, because the front is the most valua- 

 ble flue in any house, equally on account of the 

 saving of fuel, from the circumstance of its hav- 

 ing a greater command of temperature, and the 

 injury done the trees by the violent heat of the 

 back flues in keeping up the proper temperature 

 in stormy weather ; besides the propensity of in- 

 sects to harbour and breed between the trellis and 

 flue in such cases. 



Suitable houses, contrived for the purpose, are 

 constantly to be preferred : such as are wrought 

 by one fire, communicating first with the 

 front flue, and then having two returns in the 

 back wall, are, in the opinion of the same wri- 

 ter, best adapted to early forcing, as the strength 

 of the heat is expended in the front, so that by 

 the time it returns to the back flues it becomes 

 of a slow, mild nature ; from which no danger 

 can be entertained, even at the most early season 

 of forcing. Plans for houses of this sort may be 

 seen in the annexed plate. They maybe so con- 

 trived as to serve the purpose of grapes as well as 

 for peaches ; and have one or two fires, accord- 

 ing to circumstances. 



In the latter kind a trellis may be fixed against 

 the roof, beams or rafters, to the extent of half 

 their height ; trees being planted between the 

 front flue and wall, and trained thereto, as these 

 will not shade those on the back, and of course 

 one house be rendered nearly as good as two, as the 

 trees on the front will have an extent of eleven 

 or twelve feet to extend themselves in. 

 M 2 



