136 General Notices. 



occasionally cut down to the water's edge during winter, but never fail to 

 produce abundant blooms during summer. The pond, in which gold fish are 

 kept, is about 'ih feet deep, is formed inside of brick, and supplied with water 

 from a jet in the centre. — ( Gard. Chron., 1849, p. 743.) 



Pruning and Training the Peach Tree. — It has been admitted by 

 the majority of our most eminent practical gardeners, that the fan system of 

 training peach trees is the best, and it is unquestionably the most natural ; 

 but, notwithstanding this, there are some evils to which tlie plan is liable, 

 and which, by a little obsei'vation and care, may be avoided, even by persons 

 little initiated in the art of practical gardening. A little observation will 

 readily discover the tendency which the central shoots of the tree have to 

 take the lead, and rob the oblique and horizontal branches of their due pro- 

 portion of sap. These vertical shoots will gradually, from their position, be- 

 come stronger and stronger; whereas the others, in like proportion, will 

 gradually get Aveaker and weaker. The result of such a state of things must 

 clearly be the death of the lower branches ; the tree consequently becomes 

 disfigured, and this unbalanced distribution of the sap naturally interferes 

 with the regularity with which the crop is produced, as well as with the 

 quality of the fruit itself. I would therefore, particularly direct attention to 

 this important point, with a view to steer clear of the evil, Avhich can only 

 be done by attending early to it ; for, if young trees are properly begun, and 

 so continued for the first three years, it may in a great measure be obviated. 



First, then, allow no strong shoots to exist in the centre of the tree, and 

 this must be eflfected in the summer pruning, or rather disbudding. There 

 need be no fear that there will be a deficiency of shoots in the centre. The 

 next point is, to give the extremities of the under branches an inclination 

 upwards. This will draw the sap in that direction, and relieve the middle 

 of the tree. Again, never allow the intermedial central branches to extend 

 so far as the others ; the sap will, consequently, be controlled and regulated. 

 The tree thus trained, will present a much more beautiful and natural form, 

 the crop will be more regular and perfect, and the tree itself will continue 

 to bear for a much longer time. The period selected for pruning the peach 

 has, in most cases, been the spring. This is, however, the very worst time 

 throughout the whole year for pruning this tree ; as much of this kind of 

 work as it is possible to perform may be more advantageously done in early 

 summer, by regulating the buds, and by not laying in a much greater num- 

 ber of shoots than may be required to secure a sufficiency of bearing wood, 

 keeping in mind that on the current season's growth the following year's 

 crop mainly depends. By careful and continued disbudding during summer, 

 so as to retain no more shoots than the tree's well-being and fruitfulness re- 

 quire, many evils will be avoided which winter and spring pruning obviously 

 inflict. 



When the crop is gathered, and the leaves begin to fall in the autumn, 

 then is the time to regulate and shorten back the young shoots, practice hav- 

 ing fully proved the advantage of cutting away at least one half of the 

 young growtli ; and when tliis is of a weakly kind, two-thirds may be re- 

 moved with advantage. After the tree is pruned, it may be left in a partial- 

 ly unfastened state until the following spring. — ( Gard. Chron., 1849, p. 743.) 



