366 



PEACHES. 



tiiese trees had the yellows, as it is called ; neither have I 

 any doubt concerning the cause of it ; as all the trees thus 

 iiijured were perfectly sound and healthy the summer pre- 

 vious, and those trees only that were thus exposed in a cer- 

 tain direction were thus injured. I am also satisfied that 

 every tree thus injured may be known in the spring by 

 pruning the young shoots ; if they are black in the pith, or 

 dotted with Ijlack, they are injured beyond recovery although 

 the trees may not finally die for a twelve mcnth afterwards. 

 If my conclusions be correct, they will perhaps explain 

 the phenomena, and lead to a different mode of treatment, 

 I should say then, that in all situations, particularly in the 

 northern and eastern states, and v/here the foregoing symp- 

 toms have prevailed, abandon the Peach stock. I have be- 

 fore noticed the Bitter Almond, which certainly is the best 

 etock for the southern states ; the worms, at least, will not 

 remain in it ; but as this stock grows as free, and continues 

 growing nearly as late as the Peach stock, the same effects 

 from the extreme cold, will be nearly the same on the Almond 

 stock. ThePLUM stock is undoubtedly the best for Peaches 

 and Nectarines, in the Northern and Eastern States, but es- 

 pecially for open dwarfs, or espaliers, for which I give the fol- 

 lowing reasons : first, the Plum stock prevents the too rapid 

 growth of the shoots, and causes the principals to bear the fruit 

 the following season, instead of producing lateral shoots the 

 same season, and causing the tree to be more dwarf, the 

 branches strong and fruitful to the bottom of the shoot, thereby 

 having more fruit in a smaller compass : seconclly, it makes 

 harder and less pithy wood, and enables it the better 

 to withstand severe cold ; and this may be easily proved 

 by cutting the branches of each : the shoot on the Plum 

 stock v/ill be twice as hard and firm as the one on the Peach 

 stock; but, thirdly, and the most important reason is, that 

 tho Plum stock ceases to send up its sap earlier in the fall, 

 causing the Peach to perfect its wood before the cold wea- 

 ther sets in. 



\Yith these remarks I shall proceed to notice their culti- 

 vation on Plum stocks. 



The Muscle Plum stock is most commonly used by Eu- 

 ropean Gardeners and Nurserymen, as being the most firm 

 and lasting. In the south of France, the Almond Stock is 

 used. I have before observed on my remarks descriptive 

 of Plums, [part 1st, p. 303] that good stocks may be raised 

 from th3 common Horse Plum, and that it is m fact very liko 



