50 OF PEACHES. ♦ 



cover the trees, nor suffer the shoots to grow 

 through the meshes of the nets ; for, when that is 

 the case, a great many of them will be broken in 

 taking off the nets. The trees should be unco- 

 vered in cloudy weather, or when it is likely to 

 rain ; if the nets be taken off in clear weather, the 

 leaves are liable to be hurt by the sun. Be care- 

 ful in taking off the foreright and side shoots, not 

 to expose the fruit ; rub them off near the extre- 

 mities, leaving those which you want to fill up the 

 wall as low on the branch as possible, at the same 

 time leaving only one for a leading shoot. When 

 the fruit is about the size of a small marble, begin to 

 thin them : which operation must be left to the 

 judgment of the person who does it ; but it should 

 be according to the strength of the tree. This 

 ought to be done very regularly, that the fruit 

 may be equally dispersed over the tree. If left 

 too thick, it will not have room to swell : this 

 frequently happens. If the tree be very strong, 

 you may leave from three to six Peaches on each 

 shoot ; according to the strength and length of 

 the branch. 



I have observed, that where the Composition 

 was applied to prevent the sap from being exhaled 

 by the sun and air, all the trees that were very 

 much loaded with fruit were not in the least hurt ; 

 while the trees that were treated in the common 

 way were greatly injured, and often killed, when 

 they have had a great crop. 



