1080 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



PEACH 



the two-year-old wood attached. (See 

 Budding, p. 58, and Grafting, p. 52.) 



Planting &c. — The best time to plant 

 Peach and Nectarine trees is in November 

 or else about February or March in mild 

 open weather when the soil is in a good 

 friable condition (see p. 1032). The surface 

 of the soil may be covered with a layer of 

 light litter, but rich manure is not advis- 

 able at this period for Peaches and Nect- 

 arines. When, however, the trees are 

 well set with fruit, a good mulching of 

 well-rotted manure will assist in the 

 swelling of the fruits, and during the 

 season occasional waterings with liquid 

 manure will also be highly beneficial. 

 From the end of May or when the fruit 

 has set onwards, frequent syringings on 

 warm bright days will improve the con- 

 dition of the trees, keeping the foliage not 

 only clean and bright, but also free from 

 dirt, dust. Insects &c. 



There is little to be said in regard to 

 training Peaches and Nectarines out of 

 doors, as the trees are mostly grown fan- 

 shaped on walls. Only in the very mild- 

 est parts of the British Islands is it worth 

 while attempting to grow them as stan- 

 dards, half standards, or bushes. 



Pruning. — As the fruits of Peaches 

 and Nectarines are borne on the wood of 

 the previous year, it is essential to bear this 

 fact in mind when pruning the plants. In 

 summer any gross side shoots may be 

 cut right out, except where wanted to fill 

 a gap and give the tree a symmetrical 

 appearance. In this case only such shoots 

 may be pinched back or broken to about 

 4 eyes, as recommended under summer 

 pruning. In autumn, when the foliage 

 has fallen, little remains to be done beyond 

 cutting out any useless twigs. 



The difference between the twigs pro- 

 ducing the flower-buds and the old wood is 

 shown in the Ulustration (fig. 157). It will 

 be noticed that there are usually 2 pltunp 

 iruit-buds, one on each side of the more 

 slender wood-bud in the middle. This 

 wood-bud shoots and makes a leafy branch 

 which in due course also bears leaf and 

 flower buds in the same way. 



Disbudding. — This operation is prac- 

 tised in spring, when the buds start into 

 grovrth. It consists in removing at inter- 

 vals all the wood buds that are not 

 required. As a rule all wood-buds except 

 one at the base and one at the apex of 

 the shoot are removed, thus saving the 



sap for those that are left, so that they 

 may have increased vigour. 



Thinning the Fruit. — This is nearly 

 always necessary where trees are in good 

 bearing, as there are usually far more 

 fruits set than can be borne with safety 

 to the tree. When the fruits are weU set 

 the trees should be examined, and all 

 fruits pointing towards the wall or other- 

 wise unfavourably placed should be 

 rubbed with the finger. When finished 

 the remaining fruits should be about 6 in. 

 apart, and when these have ' stoned,' as 

 gardeners say, every alternate one may be 

 removed — that is, if the finest flavoured, 

 largest, and best are ultimately wanted, 

 and if it is desired not to put too 

 great a strain upon the tree. It must be 

 remembered that during the flowering 

 and fruiting period of any plant or tree 

 the reserve material and elaborated sap 

 manufactured by the leaves are being 

 heavily drawn upon, and it is unmse to 

 allow the process to go too far. 



Root-pruning. — This is rarely ne- 

 cessary for Peaches or Nectarines. When 

 required it is best done in autumn and 

 as advised at p. 1031. 



Diseases &c. — Peaches and Nectar- 

 ines are sometimes troubled with attacks 

 of mildew {Sphterotheca pam,nosa) which 

 forms greyish-green patches on the leaves. 

 A scarcity of moisture at the roots, or an 

 erratic season with sudden changes from 

 hot to cold, will often develop favourable 

 conditions for this disease. It may be 

 checked by dusting with flowers of sulphur, 

 either in a dry powdered state or mixed 

 with water and sprayed on with a syringe, 

 but fruits once attacked are irreparably 

 injured, although not altogether value- 

 less. 



Leaf-curl or Peach-blister is another 

 disease often readily noticed by the blis- 

 tering and curling of the leaves, a state 

 of affairs probably brought about by bad 

 drainage, cold and inclement weather &c. 

 The best remedy is to detach the injured 

 leaves and branches and burn them 

 immediately, as the malformation is 

 brought about by a fungus called Exoas- 

 cua deformams. 



Gummi/ng is very often a serious 

 disease with Peaches and Nectarines, and 

 when allowed to go too far there is no 

 remedy except uprooting tfie trees and 

 burnmg them. Gumming is sometimes 

 caused by the caterpillars of the Apple or 



