PLANTING. 217 



northern parts of the United Kingdom it may be laid down as an axiom 

 that peaches and nectarines cannot he perfected unless on southern walls, 

 or those with a few points to the east or west of south. But in the 

 choice of a site the inclination of the ground must be taken into account as 

 well as the aspect of the wall. The ground should slope, if possible, to 

 the south or west. Such a disposition of the ground greatly improves 

 the local climate, and gives those necessary qualities to the site so valu- 

 able to a tree like the peach, sunniness and warmth. Once more in re- 

 gard to the site it should have a dry bottom as well as a warm outlook to 

 the sky. A wet soil will go far to ruin the best site. The excessive 

 evaporation of water from the surface of the earth not only cools the 

 latter, but also the local atmosphere over it. 



III.— Soil. 



Soiii has a much closer relation to site than is generally supposed. So much 

 so is this the case that, given a south and west wall, with suitable soil 

 against it, and the site can hardly prove unsuitable. But let the soil be of 

 bad quality, and especially let it be saturated or bottomed with stagnant 

 water, and such earth conditions will go far to neutralise the finest site 

 in the country. Throughout the greater part of the United Eiagdom the 

 danger from the opposite extreme — that of dryness of the roots-^ia but 

 slight indeed. It does, however, sometimes occur on thin soils — on the 

 chalk or over the gravel — and there are two obvious remedies against it : 

 one is artificial watering, and the other, and by far the best, the arti- 

 ficial deepening of the soU. Artificial watering generally fails from twO' 

 causes : it is insufficient in quantity and intermittent iu its applica- 

 tion. Of course we are not writing of such waterings as accidental 

 droughts or common cultural necessities may render necessary on any- 

 soUs, but of such waterings as may be needful from radical faults of the 

 site chosen, arising either from the scarcity or character of the soil or 

 subsoil ; and unless where an unlimited supply of water can be laid on 

 from mains, such sites are never sufficiently watered. And even where 

 this is the case, the roots — from ignorance of their actual condition and 

 other causes, are apt to be subjected to an alternate series of parching^ 

 and fioodings that are almost sure to be destructive to the health of the- 

 trees and most damaging to the quality of their produce. A far simpler, 

 and in every way better, mode of preventing the evil of excessive drought 

 at the root of peaches is the removal of so much of the unsuitable soil 

 or subsoil as wiU furnish a border or bed of from 24in. or 30in. to 36in. 

 under the roots. Such a mass of suitable soU will be almost sure to' 



