FORCING DEPARTMENT. 841 



ning to stone, as many of the sorts are subject to 

 drop oft' at this stage of growth. As soon as the 

 wood buds have pushed about an inch in length, the 

 trees should be looked over, and all the superfluous 

 and foreright shoots, cut or rubbed off, only leaving 

 those that are in the best position for laying into the 

 trellising, and most contiguous to the empty space 

 or vacancies that may occur, by the removal of old 

 wood at the pruning season. 



Some discrimination is necessary, at this time, 

 for the selection of such shoots as are most likely to 

 be of the kindest growth, for producing a crop the 

 ensuing year. It is, also, more advisable to lay in a 

 greater number than will be ultimately wanted, in 

 order to give an opportunity of choosing and dis- 

 tinguishing those that are most likely to produce a 

 crop of fruit the foregoing year ; they should, how- 

 ever, be thinned out before the fruit begins to stone, 

 which will give a free admission of light and air to 

 the remaining shoots, and add considerably to the 

 nourishment of the fruit. Such trees as have a pro- 

 pensity to make strong wood, may have a greater 

 quantity of young shoots laid in, than those which 

 show a disposition for fruit, which will lessen their 

 state of luxuriance, and bring them into a bearing state. 

 By the beginning of March, the weather, we may 

 naturally suppose, will be much milder and more 

 congenial to vegetation than was experienced through 

 the two preceding months ; consequently, the atmos- 

 phere of the Peach- House may be again raised to 

 65 degrees, with fire heat in the evenings, and 

 2 y2 



