THE PEACH AND NECTARINE 95 



wall, and trained up as far as the apex of the hip-roof, and another set of 

 trees, planted on the low-front trellis, are kept purposely low in order not to 

 obstruct the light from those on the back wall. This enables the cultivator 

 to obtain a crop of fruits from the back wall, which the former plan does 

 not, and it also affords an opportunity of growing a greater number of varie- 

 ties in the same house, as more trees are required to furnish it. A longer 

 succession of fruit may be had from the same house by planting early, 

 mid-season, and late varieties. 



Ventilation. — Of late years so much thought and attention have been 

 devoted to the study of this question by enterprising horticultural builders, that 

 a cultivator contemplating the building of glass-houses for fruit-growing purposes 

 cannot do better than be guided by their experience and follow their advice. 

 Still, there are considerations bearing on the subject which appeal more directly 

 and with greater force to the cultivator than to the builder, and this is par- 

 ticularly the case with regard to winter and spring ventilation during forcing time. 

 The first point I would notice is the fact that for months together in the winter 

 and spring the ventilators are not required at all, for generally too much cold air 

 finds its way into the houses beneath the panes, be the house ever so carefully 

 glazed ; and this leads me to remark of the loss and waste in fuel caused by 

 badly fitted and warped ventilators. Another point worth noting is the fact 

 that front air in winter and early spring is now scarcely ever admitted by good 

 cultivators in early fruit forcing. Top ventilation in winter and spring, by 

 which means alone the temperature should be regulated, becomes of paramount 

 importance, and whenever possible, ventilators should be fixed which open 

 at either side, so that the panels can always be opened on the side opposite to 

 which the wind is blowing. In this way air can be admitted without at the 

 same time causing violent cold draughts. Means, of course, must be provided 

 for the admittance of plenty of air during summer. It is only as regards the 

 cautious use of it in winter and early spring that I have felt called upon to give 

 a word of warning, and this warning applies with equal force to other fruit trees 

 as well as the peach. There is no rule without an exception, and I do not mean 

 to say that advantage should not be taken of a warm, sunny morning, when the 

 peach trees are in bloom, for instance, to admit a little front air for a short time, 

 if it can be done without lowering the temperature too much. Span-roofed 

 houses are much the best for producing peaches in summer and autumn. The 

 ends should face north and south ; the early lean-to houses, on the contrary, 

 should face due south. 



The Border. — An important item in the successful cultivation of the 

 peach is the construction of the border. To do this well begin by dig- 

 ging out all the soil inside the house to the depth of 2 feet 9 inches, and 

 similarly treat the outside border ; each border should be 9 feet wide, measuring 

 from the front wall of the house. Any clayey soil, or that which is poor, 

 must be removed, but any of good quality may be retained, and can be used 

 again when mixed with new soil in the formation of the border. Assuming 

 that the soil has been cleared away to the depth mentioned, the next question 

 to consider is that of drainage ; first, lay the main drain (if one does not 



