THE PEACH, NECTARINE, ETC. 



153 



account of the flower being more robust than that of 

 the Peach. The Peach flower consists of broad petals, 

 which, when fully developed, are more liable to be 

 injured by cutting winds than the Nectarine blossom ; 

 and, again, it possesses a broader surface when fully 

 expanded, so that more damp gets condensed upon its 

 surface, and renders it more susceptible of injury by 

 the night frosts ; hence the more frequent failures 

 with some of the finer Peaches than with the more 

 common ones. The Royal George Peach, for instance, 

 possesses a very broad petal blossom, and more fre- 

 quently fails to produce a full crop than most others, 

 which may be attributed to the aforesaid cause. The 

 Nectarine, on the contrary, carrying a much smaller 

 flower, is less liable to the same effects. 



The stocks on which the Peach and Nectarine are 

 budded are raised from the Mussel Plum. The stones 

 of this Plum should either be sown 

 in the autumn or kejot in sand till 

 February, but it is preferable to sow 

 them in large and deep seed-pans 

 in the autumn, and to set them in 

 a pit with a mild heat. The seed 

 or stones must be sown in j>ans 12 

 or 13 inches in diameter, and not 

 less than 6 or 7 inches deep, fairly 

 drained, and filled with a compost 

 of two parts good sandy maiden 

 loam and one part pulverised ma- 

 nure. Bury the stones 2 or 3 inches 

 deep ; they may be sown nearly as 

 thick as they can lie over the 

 surface. The soil must be made 

 moderately firm. These young 

 seedling stocks must be trans- 

 planted into the ground the follow- 

 ing autumn, where they are to 

 remain for budding, which they 

 will be ready for about the second July or August 

 from the sowing. The following spring after the 



h3 



9 



Fig. 40.— The Peach 

 hudded. 

 Of course, tying in 

 the huds is necessary 

 in all cases ; and it is 

 so simple that I think 

 it superfluous to give 

 illustrations of it here. 



