THE PEACH AND NECTARINE. 



183 



trees of considerable size may be introduced 

 into a Peach-house. The best time for plant- 

 ing is after the leaves have fallen in autumn, 

 but it may be done any time in November or 

 December, but not later than January, unless 

 in cases of necessity. Removal after the sap 

 is in active flow is injurious. 



The pruning of the tree should be conducted 

 on the same principles as those explained for 

 the Peach-tree on the open wall. If the summer- 

 pruning is properly attended to very little wood 

 will remain to be taken away in the winter; but 

 as soon as the leaves fall all the trees under 

 glass must be carefully examined, and any 

 superfluous wood removed. Trees that have 

 been badly pruned in previous years must 

 have a thorough overhauling, but no large 

 branches should be cut away unless absolutely 

 necessary, as the Peach and Nectarine will 

 not stand severe pruning, nor do they break 

 readily from the thick branches if headed back. 

 When pruning is finished, all young bearing 

 shoots ought to be 4 inches apart throughout 

 their whole length. It is not advisable to 

 shorten the young shoots of trees growing 

 under glass if they have ripened to their full 

 length, except in the case of young trees to 

 make them break more regularly. Strong 

 shoots, if not thoroughly ripened, should be 

 removed entirely. 



If ripe Peaches are required by the middle 

 of May, the variety being Royal George, or 

 one ripening naturally at the same season, the 

 trees ought to shed their leaves during the 

 second or third week in October at the latest; 

 but if they do not fall so early, it is better to 

 start forcing with a few of them still hanging 

 than to strip them off before they fall naturally, 

 as that would weaken the flowers for the en- 

 suing season. The house should be closed at 

 night after the middle of November, but no 

 fire-heat should be used if the weather is mild. 

 Plenty of air should be given by day, the object 

 being to get the trees to start very gradually, 

 or the buds will drop without expanding at this 

 season of the year. After the house has been 

 closed at night for a fortnight fire-heat may be 

 applied every night, less air being given during 

 the daytime. The pipes should be only slightly 

 warmed at first, or the air of the house will be 

 dried too much, and the trees excited. A mini- 

 mum temperature of 45° is quite sufficient, but 

 this must depend on the outside temperature, 

 which occasionally does not fall so low as this 

 during December; then the night temperature 

 may stand at 50° or 55°, with a chink of top 



air on. The trees should have a light syring- 

 ing when the air is dry, though the fre- 

 quency of this will depend very much on the 

 state of the weather outside. A little sun- 

 heat should be closed in early in the after- 

 noon if possible. 



In summer, care must be taken to maintain as 

 far as possible an equal distribution of the sap, 

 by checking over-luxuriant shoots in good time, 

 and encouraging those that are Aveak, by the 

 means pointed out in the articles on pruning 

 and training. As soon as pruning is finished, 

 the whole of the glass and wood-work should 

 be thoroughly cleaned with hot water and soft 

 soap, scrubbing out all corners where insects 

 may have found a retreat. After this the trees 

 must be cleaned with soft soap or Gishurst 

 Compound, using 4 ozs. to the gallon of water. 

 Scrub all the old branches thoroughly, as the 

 large brown scale may often be found on them, 

 and if left undisturbed, will rapidly increase 

 the following season. The young wood for 

 next year's fruiting must be carefully sponged 

 so as not to injure the buds, moving the sponge 

 upwards from the base to the summit. All 

 walls must be lime-washed. The surface-soil of 

 the border should be removed to the depth of 

 an inch, and replaced with fresh, sweet loam. 

 The house will then be ready for starting when 

 required. 



Fire-heat must be very sparingly applied 

 whilst the blossom-buds are swelling, whilst the 

 flowers are expanding, and until the fruit is 

 set. At the period when the Peach is in flower 

 on the open wall the nights are usually cold, 

 but if not so severe as to freeze the blossoms, 

 the fruit sets very well. Mr. Errington's tree, 

 above mentioned, was sometimes exposed to a 

 temperature of 34° at night, when the young 

 fruit were as large as marbles, without injury. 



There is less danger to be ajjprehended from 

 a low temperature during the blossoming 

 period, provided it is not so low as freezing, 

 than from a high one. The latter has often 

 caused the total loss of a crop, the blossoms 

 dropping prematurely after the house has been 

 kept close and too warm by fire-heat at night. 

 It is not, however, absolutely necessary that 

 the temperature should be so low as 34 c , al- 

 though that will not do harm, except in retard- 

 ing the process. As time is an important object 

 in forcing, it is desirable, where fuel can be 

 afforded, that as much heat be applied as can 

 be done with perfect safety, both as regards 

 the health of the tree and the security of the 

 crop. It has been proved that 50° is a safe 



