Transactions of the London Horticultural Society. 123 



" The largest, cleanest, and best-formed tree on the open walls was selected ; 

 and the roots, having been cut the year previous to check luxuriance, were, of 

 course, in good condition for removal. The greatest care was taken during 

 the process of removal, as to preserving the roots free from wounds, &c, but 

 no soil was left adhering to them ; they were, however, kept continually wet 

 until the tree was fixed in its proper situation. The tree was so large that it 

 required ten men to carry it to the hole ; and, after having all the wood care- 

 fully strapped together in groups, it was lifted through the roof of the house, 

 and thence lowered into its situation. The time of removal was the end of 

 January. The pruning-knife had been most severely applied to the young 

 wood previously to removal, more especially as regards thinning ; but the old 

 wood was not interfered with, as I have a strong objection to cutting large or 

 old wood from peach trees, unless in cases of strong necessity. 



" The tree, once placed in its situation, every fibre was of course as care- 

 fully trained as the shoots, taking care to carry a large portion of the superior 

 roots through the front arches into the outside border. In the first week 

 of February the tree was dressed all over with a mixture of soft soap, sul- 

 phur, and tobacco-water, rubbed carefully into every crevice ; and, when 

 perfectly dry, the wounds caused by pruning were coated over with thick 

 paint." 



About the middle of February forcing commenced, with 50° of heat by 

 day, and 36° by night. Morning and evening, all the season, the house was 

 profusely steamed, except at the flowering time, and during the ripening of 

 the fruit. After the blossoms were set, the temperature was increased slowly, 

 and for some weeks was about 60° as the highest by day, and 38° generally as 

 the lowest by night. Sometimes it was as low as 3±° at night, when the fruit 

 were as large as peas, without any mischief being done. " The tree ripened 

 about eight dozen of very good peaches in the same summer in which it was 

 planted ; and during that, with the succeeding seven years, it has produced at 

 least 2400 large and fine fruit. The largest peach Mr. Errington gathered 

 from this tree weighed 12^ oz. ; but he gathered hundreds of from 9oz. to 

 11 oz. in weight. The tree, in December, 1839, when Mr. Errington wrote 

 his paper, was exposed to the weather, and was full of excellent wood, cover- 

 ing completely the trellis, a surface of 4S0 ft." 



The following account of the general management of the peach tree, as 

 practised at Oulton Park, is so excellent that we give it entire, in Mr. Erring- 

 ton's own words : — 



" I will begin with the root ; and this leads me to remark that the peach, 

 in my opinion, as well as most other tender fruit trees, is planted in borders 

 far too deep, as well as too rich. It is, of course, imperative on the planter 

 to take the utmost care that no stagnation of any kind be permitted to take 

 place, not only as regards drainage, but in choosing soil of a proper texture. 

 A loam, about half-way between stiff and sandy, I find the best ; and, in my 

 opinion, the less manure is mixed with it the better, providing the loam 

 be what is termed 'maiden soil,' from old rest land. If any manure be con- 

 sidered necessary, it should be chiefly bone manure, on account of its decom- 

 posing very slowly, and, of course, gradually enriching the soil. It is by the 

 wasteful and indiscreet use of dung that the peach is forced to produce 

 ' robbers,' or over-luxuriant wood ; and if these robbers are not stopped with 

 the finger and thumb, when only a few eyes in length, the necessary conse- 

 quence is, that the true bearing wood is both robbed of its due share of sap, 

 by the exclusion of light, and prevented from attaining a due degree of ripe- 

 ness. If peach trees show any signs of weakness after bearing a few years in 

 soil of the description I have recommended, the remedy is quite simple; it is 

 only having recourse to top-dressing, laying it on heavily in the winter, and 

 removing a portion in the spring : heavy top-dressing is, in my opinion, ex- 

 tremely pernicious in the growing season. If this is not sufficient to renovate 

 the tree, it is easy to add a prepared compost in a trench at the extremity of 

 the roots. If any unnecessary luxuriance takes place in any of the fruit 



