I 7 4 MY GARDEN. 



The peach-trees, when planted for orchard-houses, are grown in pots 

 in good top spit loam with a little well-rotted manure ; the earth is 

 rammed tightly in the pot, and is shifted by degrees to the largest-sized 

 pots. A portion of my trees every year are grown in the open air, 

 and the others are fruited in the orchard-house. The trees should 

 be watered with manure water at least twice a week ; 

 too much or too little water utterly spoils the quality of the 

 fruit. When the fruit is gathered, it is a good plan to remove 

 the trees to the open air, to be refreshed by the dews, and 

 to obtain the light and air of heaven. When winter comes 

 water is withheld, and the pots are allowed to dry, never- 

 theless care is taken not to expose the roots to frost, and 

 for this purpose the pots are covered during the winter with 

 straw. In February the trees may be pruned. We find 

 three kinds of buds (fig. 325) : one a large, plump, single 

 bud, which is a fruit bud ; another a small, long bud, which is 

 Peach buds. a shoot bud ; and a third kind which is a triple bud, the 

 bud in the centre being the shoot bud, and the plump bud on each 

 side the blossom buds. 



In cutting back the long shoots we cut to the triple bud, as the shoot 

 bud grows and the leaves nourish the fruit should it set. During the 

 growth of the peach plenty of air is required : in fact it is not of much 

 importance if one or two panes of glass are broken ; it is much better 

 for apertures to exist by day and night than for the house to be 

 absolutely closed all night. 



My experience leads me to conclude that a good mode of treating 

 peach and nectarine trees is to keep the trees in the orchard-house till 

 about the first week in June, when the fruit is set ; then to let it ripen 

 out of doors. The fruit, under these circumstances, is smaller, of a much 

 more intense colour, and of a far higher flavour. For the last two or 

 three years I have arranged more trees in the house than it is desirable 

 should remain, and have removed the surplus quantity outside to ripen. 

 This plan, from its perfect success, will be used to its utmost possible 

 extent on all future occasions. I would sooner have one fruit ripened 



