On training the Teach Tree. 



39 



shortening of the young wood ; 

 for this is necessary to insure 

 a succession of bearing shoots, 

 without which the crops must 

 be partial and defective. In- 

 deed, I have practised the 

 method of pruning approved 

 of by that writer, and have 

 nothing to add to his brief 

 observations, but my entire 

 concurrence in them. 



The soil of the border in 

 which the nectarine tree above 

 referred to, and many others, 

 were at the same time planted, 

 is a strong loam ; the border 

 was made 12 ft. wide, 2 ft. 

 deep, and the bottom paved 

 with flag stones : no dung 

 nor any manure was used in 

 making the border, or at any 

 subsequent period. Insects 

 were particularly attended to, 

 and, whenever they appeared, 

 they were carefully destroyed. 

 In dry weather the trees were 

 washed with the engine twice, 

 and sometimes three times a 

 week. Disbudding was prac- 

 tised; no more shoots wereleft 

 in thesummerthan were neces- 

 sary for producing fruit the 

 next year. The fork only 

 was used for stirring the bor- 

 der (which was frequently 

 done during the summer 

 months), but in the winter it 

 was slightly dug with the spade, 

 and laid in ridges : no vege- 

 tables were sown or planted on 

 it, except a few lettuce or en- 

 dive near the walk. Whenever 

 a luxuriant shoot or large 

 branch was to be taken out, it 

 was done in the months of 

 June or July [so that the wounds made were always healed over 

 before winter]. The trees, when in blossom, were protected by 



d 4 



