558 PRACTICE OF GARDENING. Part III. 



Sect. III. Culture of the Peach-house. 

 3063. Soil. Abercrombie recommends three parts of mellow unexhausted loam, and 

 one part of drift-sand moderately enriched with vegetable mould, or the cooler dungs. 

 The border or bed to be thirty inches or three feet deep. The nectarine wants the 

 warmer, richer, and deeper soil, if any difference be made. (Pr. G. 292.) 



3064 M'Phail recommends the soil for peach-trees which are to be forced, to be " fine loamy well- 

 prepared earth of a medium texture, neither very light, nor of a strong binding quality, well mixed with 

 some good manure. The border to be four feet deep, and so broad, that the roots cannot get into a 

 bad soil." (Gr. Rem. 18.) ; . ., . 



3065 Nicol. The bottom being made " comfortable by draining and paving, if not naturally dry, 

 directs the breadth of the border to be the width of the house within, and to the extent of ten or twelve 

 feet without. The average depth thirty inches at the least ; but if a yard, it would not be too much. The 

 soil to be thus composed : three fourths strong loam, an eighth part light sandy earth, and an eighth part 

 rotten stable-yard dung, with a competent quantity of lime and marl ; all being properly mixed before 

 planting." (Kal. p. 291.) 



3066. Flanagan, for peaches and nectarines, whether in houses or on open walls, uses the top-spit of a 

 pasture of rich yellow loam, if it can be procured, without adding to it any manure whatever ; if poor and 

 sandy it should have a little rotten dung added to it, and the whole should be laid up on ridges, and 

 turned over for six months previously to using." (Hort. Trans, vol. v. 57.) 



3067. Choice of sorts. The following list is given by Abercrombie as the most proper 

 for forcing : 



PEACHES. 



Cling Stoties. 

 Late admirable. Mid. Sept. 

 Old Newington. Late in Sept 

 Portugal. End Sept. 

 Golden. Sept. 

 Catharine. Early in Oct. 

 Monstrous pavie. End Oct. 



Free Stones. 

 White nutmeg. End of July. 

 Large Mignonne. Mid. Aug. 

 Belle Chevreuse. Late in Aug. 

 White Magdalen. End Aug. 

 Red Magdalen. End Aug. 

 Montauban. End Aug. 



NECTARINES. 



Chancellor. End Aug. 



Early admirable. Beginn. Sept. 



Malta. Early in Sept. 

 Boyal George. Mid. ? 

 Noblesse. Mid. Sept. 



Le Teton de Venus. Late in Sept. 

 Late purple. Late in Sept. 



Cling Stones. I Golden. Sept. Free Stones. I Temple. Sept. 



Red Roman. Late in Aug. Brugnion. Late in Sept. Scarlet. End Aug. White. Aug. and Sept. 



Newington. End Aug. I Murray. Early in Sept. | 



3068. M'Phail says, " The names of peach-trees fit for forcing are the Magdalen, 

 Montauban, royal George, and noblesse ; of nectarines, the scarlet, temple, Murray, and 

 red Roman." (G. Bern. p. 18.) 



3069. Nicol recommends the following : 



PEACHES. 

 Red Magdalen I Royal George I Montauban | Teton de Venus | French Mignonne I Early purple ; and 



White Magdalen | Noblesse | Admirable | Late purple | Smith's Newington | Orange. 



NECTARINES. 



Elruge | Due de Tello [ Scarlet | Murray | Temple | Roman | Newington ; and | Brugnion. 



307Q. Choice of plants. " Before a house for forcing peaches and nectarines be built," 

 M'Phail observes, " trees to plant in it had best be got in readiness ; and if they be 

 growing on the premises it will be an advantage. If it can be avoided, no tree should 

 be planted in a forcing-house until the fruit of it have been seen and tasted. The trees 

 should be well trained ones, four or five feet high : indeed it is of no consequence what 

 their age be, provided they be healthy, well rooted, and in a bearing state : and if they 

 have been transplanted several times since they were budded, they will be the fitter for 

 transplanting again ; and if the work of taking them up and of planting them in the 

 peach-house be carefully and methodically done, the trees by their removal will be but 

 little retarded in their growth. When every thing in a forcing-house is got in readiness 

 for the reception of the trees, loose them from the wall to which they were fastened with 

 nails and shreds, and dig a wide semicircular trench four feet distant from the stem of 

 each tree, and a little deeper than their spreading roots ; then by little and little with a 

 pointed stick work the earth out among their roots, taking care to break as few of them 

 as possible : in this manner the roots of the plants are to be divested of earth in a careful 

 manner, so as to undermine the stem, that the tree may be lifted out of its place without 

 straining the roots of it. Having holes previously prepared about eight or ten inches 

 deep, and four feet wide, set the trees into them one after another, training their roots 

 out in a regular horizontal manner at full length, and after the ends of the roots be cut 

 so as to take the raggedness off, cover them no deeper than about six inches at their 

 extremities, and at the stem of the tree about four inches." 



3071. Nicol prefers clean, healthy dwarfs, that have been one or two years trained, to older plants ; and 

 riders three or even fovtr years trained ; because, being temporary, it is desirable to have them produce 

 fruit as soon as possible, for if the dwarfs thrive, the former will have to be removed in three, or, at most, 

 in four years. In a house thirty-five feet long, three dwarfs should be planted, and in a house thirty-five 

 or forty feet long, four dwarfs ; in both cases with riders between them. (Kal. p. 323.) 



3072. P. Flanagan prefers plants that have been grown in stiff loam and three years trained. 



3073. Situation of the plants in the house. Permanent occupants, intended to be forced early, Aber- 

 crombie plants in a front border, training them on a trellis just under the roof. In late forcing-houses, he 

 trains them to an upright trellis near the back wall. 



3074. M'Phail plants so as to train under the glass ; and Nicol's practice concurs with that recom- 

 mended by Abercrombie. 



