PEA 



[68? ] 



PEA 



subsoil, are of as mucli importance with 

 the peach as with the ^. 7 ine. Three- 

 fourths of the trees in this kingdom 

 have been ruined by borders too deep, 

 too damp, and too rich. Unless proper 

 means be taken to ripen the wood, all 

 other labours are vain. The first step 

 in root culture is to examine the sub- 

 soil ; if this is not sound and dry, it 

 must at once be thoroughly drained. 

 As to depth of soil, we do not exceed 

 two feet, and nobody has had greater 

 success for many years. How much, I 

 however, that depth is above the ground ' 

 level must depend on the character of 

 the locality : if a low and damp dis- 

 trict, we would have nearly half the 

 volume of the soil above the front 

 walk ; if a very dry and elevated spot, 

 not more than a third. The latitude 

 of the place should also have an in- 

 fluence ; and in many parts of Scotland 

 and the north of Ireland we should 

 raise nearly the whole border above 

 the ordinary level. No soil is fitter 

 than a good sound hazel loam ; but, 

 whatever be the colour, it is absolutely 

 essential that it be of a texture slightly 

 adhesive. We introduce no manure 

 with such a soil, but generally mix 

 with it about one-third of ordinary 

 dark, light, garden soil, adding about 

 one- sixth of ordinary tree or shrub 

 leaves with the whole. We generally 

 make an artificial subsoil, planting on 

 what we term " prepared stations." 

 The site being drained, and the exca- 

 vations formed, brick-bats, or any im- 

 perishable rubbish, is strewed over the 

 bottom, and then covered with cinders ; 

 the latter have a couple of barrows of 

 half- decayed leaves spread over them, j 

 This comprises the whole of our pre- 

 parations ; as for manures, we top-dress ' 

 systematically every year in May : this | 

 forms an essential accompaniment of \ 

 the shallow border system. 



Culture during the growing period. j 

 Protection to the blossoms is the first j 

 thing in early spring (See Protection), i 

 The next point is disbudding. Healthy i 

 trees are sure to produce a host of little 

 shoots, which must not be retained. 

 Disbudding is best performed by de- ; 

 grees, and about three periods, two or 

 three weeks apart suffice. At the first, | 



which should be when the young shoots 

 are from two to three inches in length ; 

 those shoots only need be removed 

 which project nearly at right angles 

 from the wall ; as also those which 

 shoot between the wall and the branch. 

 Nothing can justify the reservation of 

 any of these but bare spaces of walling ; 

 such should be covered, even if by 

 shoots of inferior character. At the 

 second disbudding, a sort of " singling 

 out " may be practised. At the third 

 thinning a clever selection should be 

 made, and in doing so we would direct 

 especial attention to the preservation 

 of the lowest-placed young shoots nil 

 over the tree, for on these mainly de- 

 pends the supply of successional wood. 

 By the fan mode of training, which is 

 at least equal to any other mode, acute 

 angles of course are formed by every 

 two branches, when they meet. The 

 lowest shoot in this angle then must be 

 carefully preserved, and if overtopping 

 the next shoot a-head, it may at once 

 be pinched. Our practice is to turn 

 next to all the extreme points, and to 

 set the leading shoot free. It is of no 

 use suffering any side shoots to com- 

 pete with the leading ones, therefore, 

 all within four or five inches may be 

 stripped away, or, if doubtful, pinched. 

 And now a regular thinning or dis- 

 budding must be carried out between 

 the bole and the extremities of the 

 branches, and the only requisite is not 

 to suffer, if possible, two young shoots 

 to proceed side by side, from any given 

 point. Thus, training from any young 

 shoot at the base, we would not reserve 

 another nearer than four or five inches 

 up any given line, and so on, all over 

 the tree. One thing may be observed ; 

 if the operator is at any time doubtful 

 about a young shoot, let him merely 

 pinch the point instead of totally re- 

 moving it; at the finishing disbud- 

 ding he will perceive whether it may 

 be entirely stripped away. Disbudding 

 should be completed a little before 

 midsummer. During this period, the 

 fruit must be thinned, if too thick, and 

 this may be done at three different 

 periods. The first, when the fruit 

 is as large as a marble, when all 

 malformations, and those crowded be. 



