118 THE NUESERY. 



frost ; unless this is clone they will not germinate the fol- 

 lowing spring ; they require more moisture and exposure 

 to open their hard shells, and induce germination, than any 

 other fruit seeds. They should be examined a week or 

 two before planting time, and if they exhibit no signs of ve- 

 getation more moisture should be given them ; if they have 

 been kept dry for a month or two before being stratified, 

 they may require to be cracked. This is done by placing 

 the edge of the stone on a wooden block and striking with 

 a mallet ; when cracked they may be mixed with moist 

 earth and germinated in a warm place. The growth of 

 every one so germinated can be depended on, and the 

 rows will be regular. As the seeds are planted where 

 the trees remain until transferred to the garden or orchard, 

 it is a very good plan to nip off the point of the young root 

 protruded from the seed ; this makes it ramify, so that 

 when taken up the trees have fine branched and fibrous 

 roots instead of long tap roots, as is very generally the 

 case. 



Planting. — ^The seeds should be put into the ground as 

 soon in the spring as it is in a fit state to be worked. A 

 line is stretched, and holes made with a dibble to receive 

 the seed ; it should be put in with the root downwards, 

 and be covered not over one fourth of an inch deep. 



Plum Stocks are used for the peach in soils of a stifi^, 

 adhesive character, in which the peach does not succeed. 

 In England the j)each is worked almost exclusively on the 

 plum, as it suits their moist climate and soil better. In 

 France the hard shell almond is used almost exclusively 

 on dry^ and the plum on damp soils. Almond stocks are 

 raised in the same way as the peach. 



Dwarf Peach Trees are produced by working on the 

 same stocks recommended for dwarfing the plum. Some 

 time ago a French journal gave a very interesting account 

 of experiments made in dwarfing the peach and plum, by 



