NECTARINE AND ALMOND. 118 



the temperature of the foliage and blossoms, and thus 

 preventing injury from the sudden transition. To 

 trees trained against hot-walls, if fire be used in spring, 

 screens are indispensable ; but perhaps hot-walls are 

 most beneficially employed in ripening off the fruit of 

 the late sorts of peaches in autumn ; and, what is 

 equally important, ripening the young wood of such 

 sorts. 



When peach and nectarine-trees are liable to mildew 

 and to aphides, it is found very useful to coat, with a 

 painter's coarse brush, all the branches and twigs with 

 a composition of black soap and flowers of sulphur, 

 mixed with water, and boiled to the consistence of paint. 

 This should be done during winter, and before the 

 trees are nailed to the wall. 



The late pruning of the peach and nectarine should 

 take place early in the winter, and not be delayed till 

 the spring, as is sometimes the case. 



The Almond-Tree [Amygdalus communis), a native 

 of China, may be noticed here rather on account of its 

 afiinity to the peach and apricot, than because of its 

 importance as a fruit-tree in Britain. Every good 

 garden should contain a tree or two trained against a 

 west or east w^all, and also a few standards ; for in very 

 fine seasons the latter will yield crops, and they are 

 always ornamental in spring from the beauty of their 

 blossoms. The sorts most worthy of notice are the 

 Tender-shelled Sweet Almond, or Jordan, and the Com- 

 mon Almond, or Bitter. 



The almond is generally budded on seedlings of its own 

 kind ; but for heavy soils plum-stocks are preferable. 



