66 Culture oftJxe Peach in the opc7i Air. 



expect any other than mere chance success, when based upon 

 nothing besides empirical skill. 



The soil most suitable in my opinion for a peach tree border 

 is, sound maiden loam of a medium texture, taken from old 

 pasture land, cut 2 or 3 inches thick, and piled in heaps for a 

 few months, when it may be chopped vertically with the spade 

 and put into the border. Allowance should be made for the soil 

 settling down : it must therefore be kept at least 6 in. above the 

 intended level; this will be preferable to filling in the border 

 what it may sink after the trees are planted, because this would 

 bui'y the roots as well as the stem of the tree, and would be 

 nearly as fatal an error as planting on an unprepared border. 

 It may appear rather questionable, because contrary to the 

 general practice, to employ nothing more than this pure and 

 primitive loam, in no way enriched ; but borders containing 

 soil richly and liberally manured, more especially in low and 

 wet situations, hold an overabundant supply of moisture, which 

 does not escape either by percolation or transpiration : hence the 

 presentation of immense quantities of impure and crude fluids, 

 producing all those baneful effects already described. Under 

 eveiy variety of circumstance, therefore, it is important to avoid 

 the mixing of any kind of manure whatever with the soil which 

 I have here recommended, and would urge to be used in every 

 situation where the peach is cultivated for its fruit. A border 

 formed upon the principle which I have endeavoured to 

 describe, and the specified kind of soil, will secure the most 

 happy results. Extraordinary annual quantities of wood will 

 never be produced; thei'efore, severe pruning will be obviated, 

 the age of the tree very much extended, and its fruitfulness most 

 effectually sustained. 



The following select list of peaches and nectarines are the 

 best sorts in cultivation, and may be relied upon as excellent, if 

 procured true to their names. To assist in their identifica- 

 tion, I have appended the forms of the leaves and flowers, as 

 given by Mr. Thompson of the London Horticultural Society, 

 who is by far the best pomologist in modern times. Having 

 proved the whole in the following list, I speak with some con- 

 fidence as to their merits; I have placed them in their order of 

 ripening. Those marked with an asterisk are indispensable in 

 a small collection, 



NECTARINES. 



Names. Leaves. Tlowers. 



Hunt's Tawny - - serrated, without glands small. 



*Downton - ■ ._ reniform glands - - small. 



* Elruge - _ _ reniform glands - - small. 

 Brugnon - _ _ reniform glands - - small. 



* Violette Hative - - reniform glands - - small. 

 Murry - „ _ reniform glands - - small. 

 Pitmaston Orange - globose glands - - large. 

 New white - - . reniform glands - - large. 



