508 Improvements in the Kitchen^Garden 



experienced young gardeners think that by sifting soil of its 

 stones and roots they do a great deal for the plants, whereas 

 in most cases they are merely bestowing on it a greater capa- 

 bility of becoming solid and sodden, than it would otherwise 

 possess. Immediately after the border was filled with soil, 

 from 6 to 8 inches of lime rubbish, that is, rubbish from old 

 buildings, were laid over the whole of it; and during the en- 

 suing winter the entire soil of the border, down to the stratum 

 of litter, was turned twice and the hme rubbish thoroughly 

 mixed with it. 



In the March following the trees were planted. The 

 peaches and nectarines were chiefly full-grown trees, taken 

 from the open walls, of approved sorts, which had already 

 fruited there. They bore fruit the same season (1827), and 

 ripened their wood well. The vines were plants of one year's 

 growth, partly raised on the premises from eyes ; they pro- 

 duced shoots from 20 to 30 ft. long, which in autumn were 

 shortened according to their length and strength. The fig 

 trees planted on the back walls of the vineries were full 

 grown trees taken from the walls; they were planted in a 

 border 3 ft. wide, and the roots kept separate from the vine 

 border by a brick wall 4| in. wide, carried up from the bottom 

 pavement. The soil consisted of lime and brick rubbish, with 

 about one third of loam, without manure. They produced 

 fruit the first year, and two good crops a year ever since. 



In February and March, 1828, the peaches and vines were 

 forced moderately, both produced abundance of wood, the 

 peaches as strong as could be desired, and the vines shoots 

 from 20 to 40 ft. long, the wood, in some cases, 4i in. in 

 circumference, with numerous bunches of fruit, all of which 

 were taken off, except enough to prove the sorts. 



In the autumn of this year (1828), the roofs of the vine- 

 ries, and the table and back trellises of the peach-houses, were 

 covered with excellent fruit-bearing wood ; in November, fires 

 were put to the peach-houses : the weather during the three 

 succeeding months was dark and moist, and altogether very 

 unfavourable for forcing, but, notwithstanding, ripe peaches 

 were gathered early in the following May, weighing from 

 7 to 9 ounces each, which were regularly and successfully 

 forwarded to His Excellency's establishment, Phoenix Park, 

 Dublin. 



The vines were begun to be forced on the 1 7th of Novem- 

 ber. From the length and strength of the shoots, it seemed 

 doubtful whether they would break regularly at every bud ; 

 but by bending the shoots in a serpentine form {Jig. lOO.)? 



