1002 



Gardening for Amateurs 



the branches are cut back below the point 

 at which they were twisted. 



Winter pruning consists of cutting out 

 dead and worn-out stems and shoots. Fresh 

 growth will spring up, and so keep the trees 

 healthy and fruitful. The small side shoots 

 bearing female flowers may be thinned out 

 if too numerous, or, if too long, shortened. 

 Remember on all occasions, when pruning 

 branches, always to cut to an outside bud. 



The Kentish Cob is no doubt the best of 

 the Cob Nuts. It is very hardy, succeeding 

 even on the poorest soil. Other varieties are 

 Pearson's Prolific, Duke of Edinburgh, and 

 Webb's Prize. 



The same details of cultivation and treat- 

 ment apply to the Filbert. 



Of Filberts the following varieties may be 

 recommended : Prolific is the most consis- 

 tent and prolific variety. The Red- and 

 White-skinned varieties are much grown 

 also ; they are of better flavour, but not 

 so free bearing as the first named. 



Although Nuts succeed fairly well when 

 growing in poor soil, they pay for generous 

 cultivation in the way of keeping the ground 

 free from weeds and frequently hoed, and 

 providing surface dressings of well-decayed 

 manure during summer. 



Walnut. It is a common complaint 

 amongst owners of Walnut trees that they 

 are a long time in coming into bearing. The 

 reason for this is that such trees have been 

 grown from seed. Readers should buy the 

 trees from a nurseryman of repute, and ask 

 for those raised by grafting or budding. 

 There are many varieties of the Walnut, 

 mostly of French origin ; but perhaps the 

 Common variety is the most satisfactory. It 

 is hardy and an abundant bearer, and 

 though the fruit is not very large the husk 

 is well filled. A good variety is the large, 

 long-fruited Synonym. The Yorkshire is 

 a variety which always ripens well ; it is 

 not very large, but is hardy and a good 

 bearer. 



Peach. It is not too much to say that 

 when well grown the Peach is one of the 

 most luscious of fruits ; certainly it stands 

 unrivalled for its fine colouring and exquisite 

 bloom. The tree is rather tender and needs 

 the shelter of a wall having a south, south- 

 west or a west aspect, but a southern aspect 



is the best. The cultivation of the Peach 

 hitherto has been practically confined to 

 gardens where skilled gardeners are em- 

 ployed. Amateurs fight shy of it on account 

 of the supposed difficulty in its treatment. 

 Yet really it is as easily grown as a Plum. 

 There is even money to be made out of the 

 Peach by those who are wise enough to 

 plant a tree or two against the south wall of 

 their houses or cottages. We have heard of 

 cottagers in Sussex who depend on the Peach 

 trees on their cottage walls for the money 

 wherewith to pay their rent. The most 

 successful variety for this purpose is Sea 

 Eagle, a late hardy sort and a consistent 

 bearer. 



Its propagation is chiefly effected by 

 budding in July and August, and mostly on 

 the Plum stock. The young trees may be 

 bought as maiden trees or as trained trees. 

 Maiden trees consist simply of one upright 

 shoot or stem, that is to say, it is the shoot 

 which has resulted from the growth of the 

 bud inserted in the stock the previous 

 summer. This is cut back at winter pruning 

 (from sixteen to eighteen months after the 

 bud has been inserted) to three buds from 

 its base. These buds in the following summer 

 will develop into three branches, one on 

 either side, and the top bud allowed to grow 

 into an upright shoot. At the end of the 

 second year this tree will become Avhat is 

 termed a two -year -old trained tree. The 

 growing and training of a tree to this stage 

 entails the expenditure of a lot of time, and 

 in the hand of the inexperienced the result 

 is more often than not unsatisfactory. It is 

 much better for the beginner to buy a 

 three-year-old trained tree, with the main 

 branches already trained and in being. 



Soil and Planting. Like most fruit trees 

 the Peach will succeed moderately well when 

 planted in well-drained ordinary good garden 

 soil, though it is well worth while obtaining 

 good turf soil and to mix with each barrow- 

 load half a bushel of old mortar rubble, a 

 peck of lime, and a quart of bone-meal. 

 Each turf should be chopped with a spade 

 into about six pieces. If the ground is not 

 sufficiently porous to allow of surplus rain 

 passing away quickly it ought to be drained. 

 In preparing for planting dig a hole out 1 

 yard square and 2 feet deep at the base of 



