THE PEACH AND NECTARINE. 165 



minent buds from being rubbed off. I have often 

 started peaches without this dressing, and only con- 

 sider it necessary when the trees have been attacked 

 by red-spider the previous season. In tying the trees, 

 care must be taken to rub off as little of the dress- 

 ing as possible. 



The surface-soil should be removed from the border 

 to the depth of 2 inches, and replaced with pure 

 fresh loam in the case of young vigorous trees in new 

 borders. In the case of old trees that have borne 

 heavily for a succession of years, remove the soil 

 down to the first roots, and replace it with an equal 

 amount of loam, with a third of horse-droppings or 

 manure mixed with it. If the inside border is dry, 

 give it a good soaking with tepid weak manure-water. 

 Presuming that these operations have been attended 

 to a fortnight before the house is to be shut up for 

 forcing, still keep the house cool and well aired, but 

 keep the trees dry, so that the dressing does not get 

 washed off them. The outside border should always 

 be protected from cold and wet at the same time by 

 a covering of litter and leaves and a tarpauling, or 

 other means, such as wooden shutters for throwing 

 off drenching rains. This is supposing that forcing 

 is begun before the end of February. 



TEMPERATURE. 



Unless the weather be frosty when the house is 

 shut up, no more fire-heat should be applied than is 

 necessary to keep the temperature from falling at 

 any time below 45 at night. In mild weather it 

 will necessarily range higher without fire-heat. After 

 the house has been shut up a fortnight, firing in a 



