THE VINEYARD AND ORCHARD. Ill 



the trees having been grown from pits of unusually 

 good peaches. While the autumn planting of pits 

 lightly in the soil and permitting them to develop 

 into bearing trees is a pleasing and often profitable 

 amusement, there is no great probability that the 

 result will be desirable. We hear of the occa- 

 sional prizes won in this way, but not of the many 

 failures. 



By easy transition we pass to the kindred fruit, 

 the plum, which does not generally receive the 

 attention it deserves. If one has a soil suited to it, 

 a heavy clay or loam, it can usually be grown 

 very easily. The fruit is so grateful to the taste 

 and useful to the housekeeper that it should be 

 given a fair trial, either in the garden borders or 

 wherever a tree can be planted so as to secure 

 plenty of light and air. The young trees may be 

 one or two years old from the bud ; I should pre- 

 fer the former, if vigorous. Never be induced to 

 purchase old trees by promises of speedy fruit. 

 It is quite possible you may never get any fruit at 

 all from them worth mentioning. I should allow a 

 space of from ten to fifteen feet between the trees 

 when they are planted together, and I should cut 

 them back so that they would begin to branch at 

 two feet from the ground. Long, naked stems are 

 subject to the gum-disease. 



In the place of general advice in regard to this 



