Gardening for Amateurs 



1027 



one Peach (or Nectarine) tree can be trained 

 to a trellis some 3 feet below the front roof, 

 while another tree may be planted against 

 the back wall and allowed to cover this 

 and a trellis beneath the short glass span 

 at the top. But these fruits thrive very 

 well in either a full span-roofed house or in 

 a, lean-to, providing the aspect is a sunny 

 one. Neither the Peach nor the Nectarine 

 will succeed in the shade. 



Three-year-old fan-trained trees are best 

 for amateurs. The foundation is well laid 

 and the stems are already trained in the 

 way they should go. All the young branches 

 of the previous summer's growth are 

 shortened by half their length at the end 

 of the year or in January. In spring fresh 

 shoots will start into growth, but only 

 two of them are allowed to develop, one 

 at the base of the branch on the upper 

 side and one at the apex, the intervening 

 ones being rubbed out. Great care must 

 be taken of all these young shoots, for 

 they will produce the fruit of next year. 

 Probably a few flowers will open on the 

 older stems ; if they form fruit, let the 

 latter remain so long as there are not more 

 than six on a tree. 



General Hints. The first season after 

 planting Peach trees must be kept quite 

 cool, air being given freely whenever the 

 weather is favourable, though draughts are 

 to be avoided. The proper procedure is, in 

 spring, to open the ventilators a little early 

 in the morning and to increase the amount 

 of air as the day advances, closing the house 

 late in the afternoon. During summer the 

 ventilators may well be left open at night. 

 When the leaves have fallen the glasshouse 

 ought to be kept quite cool, the ventilators 

 being left open night and day, except in 

 frosty weather. 



Disbudding. When the requisite num- 

 ber of branches is formed the practice of 

 disbudding must have attention ; the pro- 

 cess is described in the notes dealing with 

 the Peach out of doors ; but it may be 

 referred to briefly here. The object is to 

 remove superfluous shoots and to preserve 

 two or three only on each branch to form 

 the fruiting stems of next year. In any 

 case, there must be one at the apex and 

 one at the base of each of last year's 



branches, and if there appears to be room 

 for another leave one in the middle also. 



The general treatment of established 

 Peach trees offers few difficulties, though 

 all one can do will be of no avail if the border 

 was not well made in the first place. As 

 a rule, it is unwise to plant Peach or 

 Nectarine trees without such preparation 

 as has been described. The Peach is hardy, 

 therefore it must be given cool treatment, 

 and especially when the trees are in bloom, 

 when the fruits are ripening, and when the 

 leaves have fallen. If the glasshouse is 

 heated the trees may be started into growth 

 any time after the new year, according to 

 the season at which ripe fruits are wanted 

 the intervening period is about six months 

 but amateurs usually obtain the best results 

 by allowing the trees to start into growth 

 naturally. As soon as the flower-buds are 

 seen to be swelling the ventilators ought 

 to be closed in cold weather, otherwise air 

 must be admitted freely when it is possible 

 to do so without creating a draught. 



When the fruits are set and the stoning 

 period is passed the ventilators may be 

 closed about 3 in the afternoon, if it is 

 desired to advance the season of ripening. 

 Except when the trees are in bloom or the 

 fruit is ripening, and in winter, a moist 

 atmosphere is desirable, or that pernicious 

 insect, red spider, may attack the leaves. 

 Watering is an important work ; the border 

 must be kept moist, though not wet, and 

 the only way to ensure this is to give water 

 when the soil is getting moderately dry. 

 Needless to say, it must never become 

 really dry, and even in autumn watering 

 may be necessary, since the soil is not 

 moistened by rain. Dryness at the roots, 

 together with overcropping and failing to 

 keep the trees cool in autumn and winter, 

 are the causes of buds dropping in spring. 



Reliable Peaches for amateurs to grow 

 under glass are : Hale's Early and Pere- 

 grine (early and useful for forcing), Royal 

 George, Stirling Castle, Violette Hative 

 and Noblesse (mid-season), Barrington and 

 Sea Eagle (late). 



Good Nectarines for under glass are : Car- 

 dinal and Early Rivers (early), Lord Napier, 

 Elruge, Pine Apple and Pitmaston Orange 

 (mid-season), Spencer and Victoria (late). A 



