THE PEACH AND NECTARINE 



103 



front of the house, at distances of 12 feet apart. Cordon trees are thus prac- 

 tically formed, and they invariably produce a good crop of excellent fruit, 

 without in any way impairing the fruit-bearing capacity of the trees on the 

 back wall. 



General Remarks. — When trees are carrying heavy crops of fruit, weak 

 manure water may be given at each watering, but as soon as the fruit com- 

 mences to ripen manure water must be withheld, and less copious supplies 

 given, although the trees must not at any time be allowed to suffer from dryness 

 at the roots ; use water the same temperature as that of the house. It will 

 have been observed that I have not advised organic manure to be added to the 

 peach border. The first consideration in making a border for fruit trees should 



Fruiting Branch and Successional 

 Fruiting Shoot 



[c] Fruits "stoned," two being ample to leave on a branch to secure good size and 

 quality ; (d) shoot above the fruit, pinched first to three or four leaves, and after- 

 wards to one or t^o leaves ; {e} successional fruiting shoot ; (/} point of stopping 

 successional fruiting shoot when about 14 inches long ; {g) lateral and sub-lateral 

 resulting ; {A) lateral on the successional fruiting shoot, stopped always to one 

 leaf or node, and in winter cut close to basal buds ; (z) point of cutting out bear- 

 ing branch after fruit is gathered. 



be what materials will best encourage the formation of fibrous roots; and to my 

 mind there is nothing so suitable as good loam, with the addition of ingredients 

 previously recommended to make it porous. If the border is well filled with 

 roots, liquid manure water may be given while the fruits are developing. I 

 have found diluted farmyard manure water the best stimulant, but it is well 

 to vary the manure by substituting at one time weak guano water, at another 

 time soot-water ; once or twice during summer the trees benefit greatly 

 by sprinkling the border with nitrate of soda. In applying stimulants the 

 grower should give them weak rather than strong ; much damage has often 

 been done by using too much manure. When the fruit is gathered the trees 

 will be more or less exhausted, and a watering with liquid manure will do much 

 good. 



Thinning the Fruit. — Usually far more fruits are produced upon the trees 

 than should be allowed to ripen. As a rule one fruit to each of the previous year's 



