NECTARINES. 369 



TRAINING AGAINST WALLS OR FENCES. 



Peaches against walls or fences must be managed in the 

 same way as directed for espaliers ; instead, however, of 

 tying in the shoots to the trellis, these are to be fastened with 

 nails and pieces of cloth or shreds. Some of our very fine 

 late varieties may be trained on a south aspect, and any of 

 the kinds may be trained against east or west walls. Al- 

 though a trellis set about three feet from the wall, or fence, 

 would probably, in our climate, answer a better purpose, 

 as then a free current of air would circulate behind them. 



NECTARINES. 



The Nectarine differs from the Peach only in having a 

 smooth skin ; and even this difference is not permanent, the 

 same tree having in some instances borne both downy and 

 smooth-skinned fruit ; in other words, Peaches and Necta- 

 rines. There are also several well-attested instances of the 

 same fruit partaking the nature of both Peach and Necta- 

 rine the one half being completely smooth, the other 

 downy. The proper management of the Nectarine differs 

 in no respect from that of the Peach, and the remarks and 

 observations made above apply equally to the Nectarine. 

 But we may observe, that the Nectarine is subject to the at- 

 tacks of an insect from which the Peach is exempt. This 

 insect (said to be a curculio) punctures the fruit, when about 

 half grown, and deposits its egg, which soon becomes a mag- 

 got, eats the fruit, and causes it to drop off prematurely. 

 Where this enemy is not found, the Nectarine produces its 

 fruit as readily and in as great perfection as the Peach. 



As it respects the worm which attacks the roots of the 

 Peach trees, a little care and attention will prevent its com- 

 mitting much mischief. The egg is first deposited in the 

 upper part of the tree ; and in the months of June and July 

 it becomes a very small maggot, drops to the ground, and 

 approaches the tree near the surface. If the ground is kept 

 clean round the roots (as it ought to be) the worm can readi- 

 ly be detected by a small drop of gum which appears on the 

 tree soon after it has made its entrance, which gumminess 

 will increase in quantity as it progresses : and if the trees 

 are well examined about once a week, and this gumminess 

 removed where it appears, the worm will at once be detected : 



