218 THE PEACH AND NECTARINE. 



retain a sufficiency of moisture for peaoh trees in our climate. This 

 brings the cultivator face to face with two of the most vitally important 

 matters within the entire range of peaoh culture — ^the quality and quantity 

 of the soil best adapted for peach-growing. 



The greatest practical difficulty in regard to the cultivation of superior 

 fruit, arises from the soil. It is obvious that, unless the roots prosper 

 the tops cannot, hence the importance of good soil. The two extremes 

 of sand and clay must be avoided, but o£ the two sandy soils are the 

 most unsuitable for the peaoh. What cultivators call a holding calcareous 

 loam, that is a loam slightly tenacious, on account of the amount of clay 

 it contains, and more or less impregnated with lime, is the most suitable 

 of all soils for peach culture. If this description of soil has the additional 

 recommendation of being " maiden," that is, such as has not previously 

 grown fruit trees, it is as near perfection as can be. The surface spit 

 of an old common, or of meadow land, laid up for six mouths before use 

 with the scant herbage, and all its fibre intact, forms a model soU for 

 peach growing, and to this nothing should be added. Many spoil the 

 finest soils by officious efforts to improve them yet more, and further — 

 cultivators, above most people, need to learn thoroughly the difficult art 

 of letting well alone. Having obtained a good maiden soil, do not 

 ruin it by additions of manure of any kind, not even of crushed 

 bones nor dust. Farmyard or cow manure may give a fillip to the trees 

 at first, but the effects are injurious in the end. Good soil, like good 

 wine, needs no bush. When its growing power gets somewhat exhausted 

 by years of use, it may readily and rapidly be enriched up to any desired 

 extent by the application of top dressings and the use of liquid manure. 

 These leave its mechanical texture, the most valuable' quality of soils for 

 fruit culture, intact, while all solid manure, with the exception of inch 

 or larger bones, tends to break down texture, and so consolidate the 

 earth into excessive solidity. 



But it is comparatively seldom that these model soils can be com- 

 manded in sufficient quantities to form the entire borders. Hence, com- 

 promises have to be adopted. Frequently good soils will be found on the 

 spot, Ipams of fair quality, or subsoils that will give staying properties to 

 the lighter surface soils. Where such exist, great advantages may be 

 derived from the due and careful admixture of tops and bottoms. The 

 best of borders for peach trees may not seldom be formed in this way. 

 Beneath a light sandy sort of soil it is no uncommon thing to find clay. A 

 third of the latter, duly incorporated with the former, may form a capital 

 soil for peaches. The best soil may be of too thin a strata to 

 grow good peaches. It, ia a simple and easy matter to add a third or 

 more to its depth, The most common mode of making good borders for 



