THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



57 



geared power sprayer, and admits of 

 the prosecution of the work, even when 

 the soil is wet, and when the foliage is 

 dry, and usually permits of getting the 

 I work done in time for thorough protec- 

 tion. The cost of the gas is the price 

 to be paid for this advantage, which 

 when looked at in comparison with the 

 cost of the horse-power in the case of the 

 wheel-geared machine, would appear 

 to be a considerable item. Again when 

 we come to compare the cost of the gas, 

 which is less than half a cent per gallon 

 or 40 cents per acre per application, it 



would appear to be a very small considera- 

 tion looking at the matter from a scien- 

 tific or business standpoint. The gas 

 sprayer has the advantage also of simple 

 construction and operation. With or- 

 dinary care vexatious delays are un- 

 necessary. There are no pumps to get 

 out of order, and the work is done 

 quickly, furnishing any desired pressure 

 for any desired number of nozzles. It 

 remains for the grower to decide which 

 will best suit his special conditions. 



The compressed air power machine, 

 also, has the great advantage of light 



draft, but it is a very expensive outfit, 

 and liable to delays by the use of the 

 engine and air compressor. Besides, 

 the services of an experienced operator 

 are required. 



Thorough preparation and straining 

 of the mixture are imperative with power 

 sprayers, especially where a large num- 

 ber of nozzles are in use. A strainer or 

 separator placed between the tank or 

 pump and the hose is the latest and 

 best arrangement. A valve is provided 

 by which the strainer can be cleaned in 

 an instant in case of clogging. 



The Peach Nursery 



BEFORE we can raise good peaches 

 we must raise the trees, and before 

 we can raise good trees we must know 

 how to select and treat the seed. Many 

 growers prefer seed from natural fruit 

 rather than that from cultivated varie- 

 ties, claiming that such is more vigorous 

 and hardy and that the trees are 

 longer lived. While this contention has 

 considerable weight, and while no mis- 

 take is apt to be made by its adoption, 

 yet, there are men who use only the 

 seed of budded trees and with the same 

 degree of success. 



SELECTING AND TREATING THE SEED. 



Whether selected from natural or cul- 

 tivated fruits, care should be taken to 

 secure pits that are healthy, of good size, 

 and from ripe fruits. It is better also 

 to obtain them from trees of known 

 hardiness and strong growth. Pref- 

 erence is sometimes given to pits from 

 yellow peaches, particularly when the 

 seedlings are to be budded with the 

 same colored fruit. Pits from distiller- 

 ies, where peach brandy is made, are 

 not fit for the nursery, as the boiling 

 process destroys their vitality. 



When it is desired to grow the peach 

 on heavier or moister soils than suits 

 its own roots, the seed of the plum may 

 be used for the production of stocks. 

 For growing peaches on heavy clays, 

 budding on plum stocks is particularly 

 desirable and often necessary. For very 

 dry soils the hard-shell sweet almond 

 is used as a stock in countries where 

 climatic conditions are favorable. 



To get an even stand of trees the pits 

 should be stratified in the fall (i..e, mixed 

 with alternating layers of sand in a box, 

 or buried in a fairly dry pot in the gar- 

 den or orchard) and exposed to freez- 

 ing and thawing till spring, then soaked 

 in water till they have absorbed con- 

 siderable moisture. They should then 

 be placed in thin layers on the surface 

 of the ground and exposed to the action 

 of frost, being protected from drying 

 by a light covering of leaves or straw. 

 Some growers put the seed in fall di- 



A. B. Cutting. B.S.A. 



rectly in the nursery, but by so doing 

 only a portion will grow and no regu- 

 larity can be attained in the rows. It 

 is better to treat the seed by stratify- 

 ing, as that prevents vacancies. In the 

 spring, when taken up, most of the 

 shells will be found to be cracked open ; 

 the others may be loosened with a ham- 

 mer. They are then ready for plant- 

 ing in the nursery. 



CHOOSING THE SITE. 



The most important requisite in 

 choosing the site for a peach nursery is 

 the selection of a suitable soil. Peach 

 pits will germina'e and develop in a 

 more or less questionable shape on a 

 variety of soils, but to get the best re- 

 sults one should select a very light, 

 sandy loam, well drained, warm and 

 easy of cultivation. The exposure and 

 location should also be considered. The 

 sweep of prevailing winds should be 

 avoided, and the slope of the land, if 

 any, should be towards the north to re- 

 tard bud growth in spring until danger 

 from late frosts is past. If near large 

 bodies of water the ^lope should be 

 towards the water. Select, also, a place 

 that is easy of access, near the road for 

 ease in transporting the trees, and near 

 the house so that the development of 

 the young seedlings and buds may be 

 conveniently watched. A location con- 

 venient to a constant water supply is 

 also desirable and, in some sections and 

 seasons, necessary. 



PREPARING THE GROUND. 



The ground for a nursery should be 

 in the form of a square or parallelo- 

 gram, and it should be laid out so as to 

 admit of horse cultivation. Strips of 

 land on the ends should be left suffi- 

 ciently wide for a horse to turn about on. 



To get the soil in the best possible 

 condition for the growth of young seed- 

 lings, a hoed crop should occupy the 

 land the previous season. A fall plow- 

 ing is necessary, followed by a similar 

 working in the spring, and a subsequent 

 harrowing and rolling will leave the 

 land in good condition to receive the 



pits. If the land is not rich enough, 

 apply barnyard manure that is well 

 rotted, and, if obtainable, unleached 

 hardwood ashes at the rate of 40 bush- 

 els per acre will be found to give good 

 results. 



PLANTING THE SEED. 



Nursery rows, for horse labor, should 

 be about three and a half feet apart 

 and laid out as straight as possible. 

 Mark out with a hoe or plow furrows 

 two inches deep and drop the pits about 

 six inches apart and firmly press the 

 soil upon them. Care should be taken 

 that the seeds do not become dry or 

 mouldy before they are planted. 



CARE OF NURSERY. 



The ground should be cultivated as 

 often as is required to keep the weeds 

 down and the soil loose, especially dur- 

 ing the early growth of the young seed- 

 lings. Hand hoeing is necessary be- 

 tween the trees in the row. Where the 

 seed may have been dropped too thick- 

 ly, through carelessness or accident, 

 the superfluous trees should be re- 

 moved. As the season advances the 

 cultivator should be used less fre- 

 quently, and when the trees are large 

 enough to shade the ground it should 

 be stopped altogether. In late sum- 

 mer or early fall — the month of August 

 usually — the young seedlings should be 

 budded. 



The following spring, when growth 

 begins, the wood above the bud should 

 be removed and all the natural buds 

 and twigs below the scion rubbed off. 

 This should be repeated as often as new 

 buds or twigs appear. All shoots that 

 spring from the roots must also be 

 watched and kept down. Cultivation 

 of the ground should be resumed and 

 continued throughout the growing sea- 

 son. Early in the season a little ni- 

 trate of soda may be applied if the 

 growth of the trees is not satisfactory. 

 Summer pruning is practised by some 

 nurserymen, and sometimes with ad- 

 vantage. It is not essential, however. 

 Whether it is advisable or not is a mat- 

 ter of opinion. 



