PEACH AND NECTARINE TREES. 235 



are given in the Chapter upon each. (See 

 Index.} 



It sometimes occurs that the blossoms of 

 the White Nectarine are defective from the 

 stamina being destitute of farina, when this 

 is the case, I always procure some fertile blos- 

 soms from some other tree of the same species, 

 and impregnate them by applying the farina 

 to the pistillum of each defective blossom. 

 (See the Chapter on Pear trees.} 



Winter Priming. This must be performed 

 as early in the season as the state of the 

 wood will permit. (See the Chapter on the best 

 season for pruning fruit trees.) A judicious 

 management of this part of the business is 

 indispensibly necessary, so that not only a 

 proper supply of fruitful wood be retained 

 for bearing the following year, but also a 

 foundation laid for that which will be re- 

 quired in succeeding years. For if this 

 be not strictly attended to by procuring and 

 retaining wood as near to the origin of each 

 branch as possible, a great portion of the 

 tree would soon become naked and destitute 

 of bearing wood? particularly so towards the 

 centre of it. Such bad effects are very fre- 

 quently to be seen in trees that have been 

 planted for twelve or fourteen years, at which 

 period they ought to have been in the great- 

 est perfection. I have very often noticed 

 trees that have been planted such a length 

 of time, and some even less than that, which 



