300 NECTARINES. 



When standards are wanted, the best way is to select 

 the strongest stocks, planting them on good and well- 

 prepared ground by themselves, and when they have stood 

 two years, cutting them down in the month of Febru- 

 ary close to the ground. As they grow up in the 

 spring, the young shoot should be singled off to one, 

 leaving the best, and shortening the lateral shoots in the 

 summer, to about six inches as they are produced. If 

 the plants grow well, and are properly attended to, they 

 will the first year attain a height of at least six feet : 

 they may the next summer be budded standard high, 

 and the stems will be clean, straight, and handsome. 



In planting out trees for training, young plants, or 

 those called maiden plants, should be made choice of 

 for the purpose, being far preferable to those which have 

 been headed down, and stood two years in the quarters of 

 the nursery : observing in all cases, without exception, 

 that the bud should stand outwards, and the wounded 

 part where the stock has been headed down, inwards, 

 or next the wall. By this means the wound will readily 

 and effectually heal over, while if otherwise exposed to 

 the sun, it would crack and injure the stock, thus ren- 

 dering the tree frequently unsound. 



When the plants are headed down, care must be 

 taken also that the cut is made at the back, leaving the 

 wound facing the wall, and in all subsequent prunings 

 the wounds should be concealed in the same manner. 



Where the branches are horizontal, or where they 

 are trained in a diagonal direction, the cuts may be 

 either at the back, or underneath, facing the ground, 

 so that they be not visible to a person standing in front 

 of the tree. When this method of pruning is pursued 

 without deviation, and the trees properly trained, the 

 wounds will not only be excluded froin the action of the 

 sun's rays, but the trees will have a neat and workman- 

 appearance. 



