114 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAKDENING. 



eighteen inches down ia the 'border, the loam, at one 

 time good, may still he hetter than that near the 

 surface, and the main roots may be in a satisfactory 

 state hut destitute of fibres. If manure as a mulch- 

 ing would correct this evil,, the quantity always 

 present would go far to prove that it ought never to 

 have found its way into existence, but manure only 

 aggravates it. 



There are two ways of dealing with trees when 

 they get into this condition. The first remedy or 

 mode of renovation adopted by many Peach-growers 

 is neither difficult to explain nor perform. It is 

 simply the removal of all the surface soil from the 

 border quite down to the roots, care being observed 

 that the latter are not injured in the operation, 

 otherwise they will throw up numerous suckers. 

 The roots are then still. further exposed by working 

 round the strongest with a hand-fork, and cutting 

 away any parts that are dead or gouty. The whole 

 of the space so cleared is then filled up with good 

 compost similar to that used for making new borders, 

 and the work is complete. Roots very soon find 

 their way upwards into this compost (it ia surprising 

 how roots will travel a, considerable distance, ap- 

 parently out of their way, to get into new soil), and 

 the trees very quickly put on an improved appear- 

 ance ; but the alteration may not be without alloy, 

 as some deeply-seated root may still prove trouble- 

 some when the fruit is setting, and again when it is 

 ripening. 



The other remedy is an extended or elaborate 

 mode of root-lifting, not root-priming, as every root 

 and fibre must be saved intact and re-laid in new 

 compost. The best way to do this is to commence 

 with steel forks at some distance beyond the radius 

 of the roots and, after working out a deep trenri, 

 gradually and carefully remove the soil in the 

 direction of the bole of the tree. When all the 

 worst soil has been removed and. the subsoil roots 

 have been raised or cut through, then the work of 

 making up again must be commenced. After 

 correcting the concrete and drainage, trim all the 

 mutilated roots with a sharp knife, raise the points 

 as near the surface as they wiU come without crack- 

 ing, then, with the hands and a short rammer, pack 

 up every hole and cranny with good turfy compost 

 containing plenty of old lime rubble. Having got 

 away from the ball, make up the bed and re-lay the 

 roots all over its surface, cover lightly, and water as 

 before. 



When very old trees have not been disturbed for a 

 number of years, the complete renovation of the 

 borders may, and most likely will, produce a check 

 and a shock from which it will take them some time 

 to recover. To steer clear of this dilemma, the work 

 may be performed piecemeal, that is, one side of the 



tree can be root-lifted one year, and the other in the 

 year following. No shock will then be felt, neither 

 will there be any danger of losing a crop of fruit. 



FORCING. 



Time to Commeiice. — This must of course be 

 regulated by the period at which the earliest fruit 

 is expected to be ripe, five or- six months being 

 allowed from the time the house is closed for forcing. 

 Some skilful growers, having every convenience at 

 their disposal, including a number of houses or com- 

 partments, succeed in ripening Peaches in April; 

 but beyond the fact that they are Peaches, it is doubt- 

 ful if they are of much value. Others do not 

 attempt to have their fruit before the 20th of May. 

 And the period over which this early forcing extends 

 very nearly reverses the season of the tree's growth 

 in this country. To have them in April, it is not 

 good management to attempt forcing permanently 

 planted houses like Figs. 1 and 2. It is better to 

 defer starting these until December and January, 

 and trust to very early kinds established in pots or 

 raised borders, to which gentle heat can be applied, 

 for a few dishes to commence with. Many of the 

 very early kinds, not mentioned in the preceding 

 lists, because extreme earliness is their chief recom- 

 mendation, answer best for this purpose ; but as they 

 have been fully treated upon and discussed in the 

 treatise on Orchard-houses, pot culture- will not 

 require further comment here. Assuming then that 

 the lean-to Peach-house is planted with Abec, Hale's 

 Early, and Early Grosse Mignonne Peaches, Lord 

 Napier and Elruge Nectarines, from which fruit is to 

 be gathered before the end of May, it should be 

 closed on the 1st of December. To keep up the 

 supply the second house (Fig. 2), planted with the 

 same kinds and perhaps one or two of the varieties 

 mentioned in the mid-season selection, should be 

 closed on the 1st of January. A third house, either 

 a lean-to or a span-roof, containing the cream of the 

 mid- season Peaches and Nectarines, about the begin- 

 ning of February, when the late and latest houses, 

 which have been retarded by abundant ventilation 

 all the winter, will follow in the order of flowering 

 through March and the early part of April. 



When the month of December proves severe or 

 very dark and unpi:opitious, the early house does 

 not make so much progress during the first few 

 weeks as the second house does ; but, being planted 

 with good early Icinds, the fruit can be carried 

 rapidly through the last stages of its growth quite 

 up to the finish. It is not, however, a wise course 

 to pursue if hard forcing can be avoided, as the finest 

 and best-flavoured Peaches are always obtained from 

 trees to which plenty of time can be given ; indeed, the 



