DISEASES OF FRUIT TREES. 



143 



of these is a great inducement to hazard the chance 

 of a crop of Peaches ; but, upon consideration of the 

 ultimate effect upon the trees, I advise never to dig the 

 borders more than six inches deep, or not to dig them 

 at all, which no doubt is the safest course, unless it 

 is very carefully done.* Some will, no doubt, remark 

 that this is contrary to my directions in " Multum in 

 Parvo Gardening." I confess that it is so ; and at the 

 same time I will substitute a plan which will give 

 results quite equal in value to what can be obtained 

 from the borders described in that work. 



Strawberries of a good productive kind, judiciously 

 planted and well managed afterwards, will produce 

 nearly an equal amount as regards value ; nor will they 

 prove at all detrimental to the Peaches, as no digging 

 will be necessary on the borders, and if the plants are 

 kept clean and detached, the ground will get as much sun- 

 shine as is necessary for the well-being of the Peaches. 

 The Strawberries should be planted not less than twenty 

 inches apart every way. Never fork or dig the ground 

 at all, but lay the manure on it, which may consist of 

 maiden loam one part, old decayed manure one part, 

 and lime one part. This is a good top-dressing for 

 Strawberries and also for Peaches. 



The injudicious digging of the ground where 

 Peaches, Plums, and Apricots are planted proves a 

 source of many fatal diseases to them. In some cases 

 I see that it causes the stock to throw up suckers, and 

 when this commences it occasions no end of trouble and 

 generally proves fatal to the trees, as the difficulty of 

 eradicating these suckers (which come close to the stem 

 and from the stem below the surface of the ground) 

 will be as bad as the retention of them. When once 

 they get deeply seated a constant recurrence of them 

 will generally take place. The fact is, that through 

 digging about the roots and stem of the trees, the roots 

 close to the stem get cut or broken so constantly that 

 they naturally emit shoots, as also do the branches; 

 and by cutting them off annually a set of spurs is 



* It may be done with ;i short-pronged digging fork, and the 

 bjrders planted ; see page 7. 



