182 FRUIT. 



produce quite as fine fruit as the best of young trees. Should 

 it be necessary, however, to plant young trees in a fresh 

 border, care should be taken to select the best varieties worked 

 on proper stocks, to avoid failure in bearing by some varieties, 

 and they should be properly planted in a border made of a 

 sound, medium, turfy loam of a calcareous nature, taking care 

 to have the border well drained. If the loam is rather light, 

 it will be improved by an addition of marl or clay, and if defi- 

 cient in calcareous matter, lime rubbish or similar material may 

 be added with advantage. Rich borders, causing rank growth, 

 are quite unsuitable, and ought to be avoided if the greatest 

 success is desired. 



For the earlier shows in May and June it is necessary to 

 start the Peaches at the beginning of the year, later houses 

 taking up the succession for July and August, and cool houses 

 furnishing Peaches for exhibitions in the autumn. The earliest 

 house should be stai'ted in the first week of Januarj' to secure 

 Peaches by the middle or end of May j and at first the night 

 temperature should not exceed -id", rising to 60° at mid-day, 

 with plenty of air on. The trees should be well syringed 

 morning and evening, and a moist healthy growing atmosphere 

 maintained. As the trees come into flower the syringing 

 should be suspended, and a drier air maintained till the crop 

 is set; but a parching heat must be avoided, as it will cer- 

 tainly bring on an attack of red spider, one of the worst foes 

 to the culture of the Peach in hothouses. A daily use of the 

 camel's-hair brush, about one o'clock when the flowers are dry, 

 helps much to secure a free set of early peaches. 



To assist the trees in setting a good ci'op of fruit, strip the 

 flower-buds from the under-side of the shoots, and keep up 

 a free circulation of dry air when the flowers are expanded. 

 When the crop is well set, disbudding should be gradually per- 

 formed, to prevent crowding and to seciu'e bearing wood for 

 the following year. Remove all shoots not required, except 

 those starting from the base of the fruit, which should be 

 pinched. Thin the fruit when it attains the size of peas to 

 about double the number to be eventually left to ripen, which 

 should be in the best position for the sun to colour and flavour 



