GENEKAL CTJIiTIVATION, 229 



greatly exceed the supply, and exhaustion immediately begins. And 

 waterisnot simply the drink of plants, but their food, or at least the 

 medium through whioh they obtain their supplies of the latter. In dry 

 soil plant food, if present, cannot be assimilated by the roots of plants. 

 Aad whether these roots absorb the elements of their nutrition direct, 

 from the soil, or first of all rendet them more absorbable by the secre- 

 tion of something analogous to gastric juice, either way abundance of 

 moisture in the earth and in the plant is essential to vigorous and 

 continuous vegetable nutrition. , 



Checks from drought mestly occur when growth is most vigorous. 

 The injury of an arrestment of growth corresponds to the thoroughness 

 and duration of the stoppage, phis the previous rate of growth. Hence 

 the importance of carefully noting the state of peach borders during the 

 growing season, and watering them so as to prevent checks to growth 

 from drought. It does not do to wait for the trees to- hoist signs of 

 distress. Long before this is manifest the trees or the crops have 

 suffered. It may be stated almost as a general principle that in droughts 

 of more than a mouth's duration, occurring from May to September, the 

 majority of peach borders would be benefited by at least one good soak- 

 ing of water. On borders properly drained, as those devoted to peach 

 culture should be, water will seldom do any harm throughout the growing? 

 season, while the want of it often ruins the crops and cripples the trees. 



The sort of water to use is of less moment. Where the soil is good, 

 the wood sufficiently strong, and the leaves large, soft rain or river or 

 pond water is best. On soils poor as well as dry, with weakly wood and 

 pinched like leaves, such as one so often meets with in small suburban 

 gardens, house, stable, or yard sewage, or manure water, is to be pre- 

 ferred. Capital manure water may also be made by placing a bushel or 

 80 of pigeon, fowl, pig, or cow dung, into an old wine butt or beer 

 barrel, stirring it well up, and applying it to the border either in a muddy 

 or clear state. In the absence of these, soot and guano form capital 

 manure water for peaches. Whatever enriching matters are used care 

 should be taken not to apply them too strong. Little, weak, and often 

 are the safest rules for the use of these and all other stimulants. Fre- 

 quently peach and nectarine trees that may have done well throughout 

 the earlier stages of their growth show an inability to finish a heavy crop 

 well. It is by far the safest plan to lighten the load. But ftequently 

 the trees may be so assisted by the copious application of manure water 

 as to be made to finish the fruit well, without unduly weakening the tree. 

 Waterings for this special purpose must be thorough and seasonable, the 

 best time being about six weeks before the fruit is ripe. For a month or 

 so before gathering no manure water should be used. 



