THE PEACH AND NECTARINE. 



169 



to obtain nourishment to support such a quantity 

 the roots must have considerable scope. As 

 space on a south border is required for various 

 early crops, the breadth may be 12, 15, or 18 

 feet, according to the size of the garden. Where 

 an artificial border has to be made, its width is 

 often necessarily limited to correspond with a 

 certain amount of outlay. In that case, the 

 made portion of the border should not be less 

 than 6 feet, but 8 feet at least would be 

 desirable. It should be made and kept 

 very firm, and no digging should be prac- 

 tised near the roots. 



From what has been stated, it will be 

 understood that, in preparing a border 

 for Peach-trees, the extremes of wetness 

 and dryness must be remedied by such 

 means as have been pointed out. As to 

 the quality of the ground, any good fresh 

 soil will answer, provided the trees are 

 well managed. 



Planting. — The border having been pre- 

 pared, the next consideration is the dis- 

 tance apart at which the trees should be 

 planted. In good soil and a warm situa- 

 tion, this may be 20 feet; where the soil 

 is not very rich — which indeed it ought 

 not to be, or where the climate is rather 

 cold — the distance may be somewhat less, say 

 18 feet, and it may be 15 feet; but less than 

 this must be considered too limited for fan- 

 training. 



The best season for planting is the autumn, 

 for the vegetation of the Peach takes place 

 early in spring, and when the plant is then 

 removed it receives a check which is injurious 

 to it. When a young stem is cut back after 

 the sap is in full flow, and the buds expanding 

 into leaf, the portion of stem left has in conse- 

 quence its internal structure much deranged; 

 and although it may keep alive and be covered 

 with young layers, yet, if the stem were cut 

 over many years afterwards, all the portion of 

 wood formed previously to the heading back 

 will appear discoloured. On the contrary, a 

 young stem cut back when the sap is compara- 

 tively at rest, or before winter, may die back 

 a little way immediately below the section, but 

 elsewhere it will exhibit little appearance of 

 derangement in its vegetation. If it should 

 happen that the planting cannot be done before 

 vegetation commences in spring, the plants 

 should be taken up early in February, and 

 healed in a cool shaded place, till the final 

 planting can be performed. When the plants 

 are cut back before they are taken up, they 



should not be cut quite so low as they would 

 require to be when planted against the wall, in 

 order to leave a choice of well -situated buds, 

 to which they can then be cut. 



The trees should be planted as deeply in the 

 soil as they were before removal, and about 6 

 inches from the wall. Some recommend the 

 tree to be planted with the budded part out- 

 ward, but this is immaterial; indeed, if there is 



Fig. 967.— Peach. Crimson Galande. (§.) 



any wound, it will heal sooner on the south 

 side than on the opposite one, especially if 

 shaded from the sun's rays, because on the 

 former thicker layers of wood are deposited. 

 The mode of planting detailed in the case cf 

 the Plum, &c, is also applicable to the Peach. 

 When planted it is well to mulch as far as the 

 roots extend with stable litter. 



Production of Fruit — As all the parts of a tree, 

 except the root, proceed from a single bud, it 

 will be necessary, for the sake of precision, to 

 distinguish the progressive stages of the growth 

 of those parts. The bud produces a shoot on 

 which, during the summer, leaves and buds are 

 developed. From the time that this shoot 

 pushes in spring till its leaves drop in autumn, 

 we propose to designate it as a young shoot. 

 From the time that the young shoot ceases to 

 elongate for the season, becomes mature, and 

 drops its leaves in autumn, until it begins to 

 push young shoots in spring, we shall call it a 

 shoot. After the shoot begins to push buds 

 and form young shoots, it may be called a 

 young stem if occupying the position of a stem; 

 if otherwise, a young branch. After the young 

 branch has matured shoots, or when it is two 

 years old, it may be termed a branch. 



As the young shoot proceeds in growth, 



