On grafting the Peach on Peach Stocks. 



149 



tion of the wall on which the sun would shine vertically 

 on the 22d of August, the day on which I tried to ascer- 

 tain the point. Of course, one of the nails on the stick 

 resting on, or parallel to, the surface of the water was not 

 fixed, till, by elevating the stick (b) so that no shadow was 

 cast, I was enabled to ascertain its proper place." — Cond. 



Art. IX. On grafting the Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot on 

 Stocks of their own kind. By Mr. Daniel Cameron, late 



Gardener to Admiral Sir George Cockburn, 



Essex. 



at Highbeach, 



By the mode, common in British nurseries, of budding the 

 peach and apricot upon plum stocks, some time is lost in 

 producing handsome bearing trees, and the fruit is of inferior 

 flavour. Every gardener must have observed that the vigorous 

 shoot made by the bud the first year, when cut down the 

 second year to within six or eight inches of the stock, receives 

 a severe check, and is very liable to disease. It frequently 

 happens that the future tree is spoiled in appearance by the 

 weakness or unequal vigour of the side shoots, and partial 

 decay of these, and of that part of the main stem which is 

 above the stock. But, even under the most favourable cir- 

 cumstances, this mode of raising peach trees never produces 

 handsome plants till the third year, and they seldom bear 

 fruit till the fourth or fifth year. 



As a quicker and better mode of raising trees of this kind, 

 I venture to recommend the following practice, which I 

 adopted some years ago at Hampton Lodge, near Farnham, 

 when gardener to Henry Long, Esq., and have subsequently 

 adopted at the place I have just left, Highbeach 

 in Essex. 



Sow in autumn kernels of peaches, nectarines, 

 or apricots, under the walls where they are to 

 remain. They will make a vigorous shoot the 

 following spring, and may either be budded in . 

 the August of the same year, or grafted the 

 March of the year following. Grafting is the 

 mode I prefer, and the scion {Jig. 47. a) should 

 have a quarter of an inch of two-years' old wood ' 

 at its lower extremity. At least, I have found 

 scions so taken off succeed better than those 

 taken indifferently from any part of the young 



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