ORCHARD-HOUSES. 33 



This will forward the blooming-season, and pro- 

 bably result in a loss of the fruit-crop. A Peach 

 tree grown in a properly-constructed house must 

 ripen its wood, unless very crowded or shaded by 

 Vines. In this part of England fire is quite un- 

 necessary to mature the wood of a Peach tree 

 under glass, and certainly is injurious to the 

 flavour of the fruit. A Peach, to be in perfection, 

 should not be too ripe ; one that falls from the 

 tree, though unbruised, is never in first-rate con- 

 dition. Some kinds, of which Crawford's Early 

 is an instance, will hang till quite woolly. The 

 experienced eye detects at a glance when a fruit 

 ought to be gathered; to feel a Peach is to 

 spoil it. 



Amongst the many advantages afforded by the 

 orchard-house, certainly not the least is the pro- 

 tection of the dormant fruit-buds during a severe 

 winter. Many a gardener covers his trees with 

 great care during spring, when all chance of a 

 crop has perhaps been destroyed for months. 

 After a very severe winter, on examination of a 

 blossom-bud before it is expanded, it will be per- 

 ceived that the pistil is dead or injured, and 

 though the tree may be full of flower, of course 



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UNIVERSITY 



