1 6 ORCHARD-HOUSES. 



aristocracy of the orchard-house. Plums bear 

 enormous crops, but are not increased in flavour. 

 Pears are very handsome, but ours were so in- 

 ferior in flavour, that we discarded them. Both 

 Plums and Pears might be grown in the house till 

 all danger from frost was over, and then turned 

 out to grow and ripen their fruit, which would 

 give more room to the Peaches and Apricots. I 

 will suppose Peaches only to be grown, and con- 

 fine my remarks to them, as the same manage- 

 ment applies alike to Nectarines and Apricots. 

 Buy your plants, if possible, early in the autumn ; 

 you will not only have a better choice, but plants 

 potted late seldom set their fruit well the follow- 

 ing season. 



After the first year, if it is intended to pot or 

 only top-dress the trees, do it before the leaves are 

 quite off, or as soon after as possible. Choose a 

 good turfy loam (the top spit from a clay pasture 

 is the best), and add to it about a fourth of rotten 

 manure : this will be better if mixed some months 

 beforehand. Pot very firmly. If your soil be 

 light, you can hardly make it too solid. Of course, 

 the soil must be moderately dry. No plant enjoys 

 tempered mud. A good rule by which to judge of 



