72 CuUiire of the Peach in the open Air. 



summer for other purposes, such as shading plants in hothouses, 

 and covering various kinds of fruits from birds and wasps. The 

 bunting should be stretched from the coping of the wall to the 

 ground, and fastened 3 ft. from the bottom of the wall. This 

 protection will be of great service to keep off the cold x-ains and 

 frosts, so prevalent at this season : during fine days the bunting 

 should be removed, and the trees exposed to the full influence 

 of the sun's rays; and when the petals of the blossoms are all 

 dropped, the bunting should be entirely taken away. From this 

 time until the fruit begins to ripen, and immediately after it is 

 gathered, refreshuig and sometimes copious waterings with the 

 engine should be given, according to the state of the atmosphere ; 

 which will keep the trees clean and free from red spider. Clear 

 lime water may with advantage be applied when insects abound. 



Peach tree, and indeed all other kinds of fruit tree, borders 

 should be occasionally forked up ; no spade should ever be per- 

 mitted in such a place, nay, not even amongst gooseberry bushes : 

 the manifest injury annually committed by this implement, and 

 the disposition to use it amongst common labourers in gardens, 

 ought to put every ardent cultivator on his guard. No vege- 

 tables should ever be cultivated on fruit tree borders : this would 

 provoke an annual supply of manure, and be the forerunner of 

 all the evils which I am so anxious to see banished from the 

 common practice of gardening. 



Far less attention has hitherto been paid to thinning peaches 

 and nectarines in a young state, than our limited practice would 

 induce us to follow : on this depends the full size of the fruit, 

 and with it the flavour ; and on the regularity and frequency of 

 the process the security of the crop in a great measure rests. 



Tlie first thinning should take place at the same time with the 

 disbudding; the second when the summer shoots are sufficiently 

 advanced to require nailing or tying; and, finally, at the time 

 of the second nailing of the current year's shoots, which will be 

 just after stoning, when no danger need be apprehended of the 

 fruit falling off. During the period of stoning, I would insist 

 on the suspension of all waterings, particularly to the border ; 

 but, as soon as the swelling begins after stoning, I always deem 

 it advisable to keep the border moist with moderate waterings, 

 until the fruit is approaching to maturity ; this assistance, when 

 the last effort is making, will wonderfully aid the trees to swell 

 their fruit to a full size. 



I flatter myself that these observations on the culture of an 

 important fruit, may be of use to some of the members of our 

 profession. They have at least the merit of being the result of 

 patient attention and practical experience. 



Exeter, Jan. 1841. 



