FRUIT UNDER GLASS. I51 
grow grossly to wood for a year or two. One way to counteract 
that is to make no hole when planting, but plant on the very 
surface. If the trees make gross wood it is a very easy matter, 
and without any check to the trees, to get at some of the strongest 
roots to cut them, and then fibrous roots will be emitted, A 
plan adopted by the Messrs. Rivers, who are our best authorities 
on such things, is to put the peach-tree in a shallow box 
sufficient to hold the roots, a hole is then made in the border 
just large enough and deep enough to bury the box; the con- 
séquent restricted growth and feeding on the surface made fibrous 
where wanted, resulting in the tree becoming quickly fruitful. After 
a year or two the box decays, the decayed wood is removed, and 
the roots are extended; but the tree once fruitful remains 
fruitful, for we know a good crop of fruit is the best preventive 
for gross wood. Whatever form of planting is adopted it is a 
good practice to lift the trees clean out of the border and replant 
in the same place, keeping the roots near the surface. This 
surface rooting or network of roots on the surface is the key to 
all successful fruit-growing. I have frequently observed in 
lifting a fruit-tree that the ball of roots is such a compact mass 
of fibrous roots you can lift the tree and move it where you like, 
and the tree never feels the shift—as is shown by the crop of 
fruit the following year being unaffected by the shift. 
The right time for transplanting or lifting a peach-tree— 
merely replanting of peach-trees is important—if you wish it 
to fruit the following season, is when the wood is matured. This 
you recognise by drawing your hand along the branch lightly, 
when the foliage parts easily from the branch. It is, however, 
a great advantage if at this stage you can shift the tree still 
retaining its foliage ; a root-action will take place before the tree 
goes finally to rest—this applies only to home-shifting. If you 
get trees from a nursery, they should be thoroughly ripened and 
denuded of leaf. 
The peach lends itself to early forcing, but wants gradual 
preparation for it, and early varieties must be chosen. Trees 
that you have brought into flower beginning of March this year, 
may be brought into flower a fortnight or three weeks earlier 
next year, then the following year a fortnight earlier still, and so 
on until you get them to flower at the end of December, which 
