THE PEACH AND NECTARINE. 



185 



left on than can be properly ripened (see p. 176); 

 they must also be exposed to the sun as much 

 as possible by wedging up all that have fallen 

 on their sides, taking away leaves or parts of 

 leaves from those on the top of the trellis, and 

 doing all that is possible to afford the maximum 

 of sunshine to every fruit. This will require 

 periodical attention until the fruit commences 

 to get soft and syringing is discontinued. 



Directions for gathering the fruit are given 

 on p. 177. The summer pruning should be 

 done as soon as possible after the fruit is 

 gathered. 



Water will now be required less frequently 

 than when the fruit was swelling fast, but at no 

 period of the year should the roots be allowed 

 to get dry. Inattention to this point is the 

 cause of many cases of bud-dropping in the 

 spring. Little else remains to be done before 

 the leaves fall beyond giving abundance of air 

 day and night. Red spider and other insects 

 must be watched for, and dealt with as directed. 

 A few lateral growths will also start away, and 

 must be cut back to the first leaf, or they will 

 rob the bearing wood for the next season. 



Manures. — Peach and Nectarine trees planted 

 out under glass are apt to grow too strongly 

 after a few years, producing gross shoots which 

 do not ripen, and therefore fail to form flower- 

 buds; or those which are formed are not 

 properly matured, and they drop in the spring 

 instead of opening. This state of affairs is 

 sometimes caused by too liberal feeding, espe- 

 cially if manures rich in nitrogen are used; the 

 only time during the life of the Peach-tree 

 when an application of nitrogenous manure is 

 beneficial occurs after stoning is completed, and 

 only then if the tree has a full crop of fruit. 

 A quick manure, such as nitrate of soda, is 

 therefore required, or drainage from the farm- 

 yard. If the former is applied, phosphoric acid 

 and potash must be given at the same time, or 

 a strong leaf growth will be induced to the 

 disadvantage of the fruit. 



Thomson's Vine Manure, if used with dis- 

 cretion, is very safe and effectual for Peaches 

 and Nectarines. The whole question of manur- 

 ing, however, depends very much on the nature 

 of the soil in which the trees are growing. A 

 poor ston}^ soil, when the crop is good, should 

 be liberally fed during the period above-men- 

 tioned; so also should trees growing in pots 

 and tubs. A light mulching of short litter is 

 of great service to trees in borders during hot 

 weather, both under glass and outside; but if 

 the trees are growing freely this mulching must 



not be of rich manure, and whatever is applied 

 should be removed as soon as the fruit is 

 gathered, when all feeding with liquid and other 

 manures must be discontinued. 



Treatment during the Resting Period. — While 

 the wood is maturing, and after the leaves fall, 

 the houses must be well ventilated. Cold will 

 not hurt the trees if they are dry and the wood 

 is well ripened. A close atmosphere must 

 always be avoided, even if it is cold, as it will 

 cause the buds to fall; air must therefore be 

 given every day. If fire-heat is applied to keep 

 frost from other things that may be in the 

 house, the night temperature should be kept 

 below 40°. Care is necessary in such cases to 

 ensure that the borders are never dry near the 

 roots of the trees. Water is not required so 

 abundantly as when the trees are in active 

 growth, but enough must be given to thoroughly 

 soak the border whenever it is applied. 



Pot Culture. — Peach and Nectarine trees may 

 also be cultivated in tubs or pots under glass, 

 either alone or mixed with other fruits, and, by 

 a judicious selection of varieties, a supply may 



be had lasting for 

 six months. 



The form of tree 

 best adapted for 

 this purpose is the 

 pyramid (fig. 9 90). 

 For large houses 

 the half-standard 

 form is sometimes 

 preferred ( fig. 

 991). Early Alex- 

 ander and its near 

 allies are difficult 



to keep 



pyra- 



mid form owing 

 to their shyness 

 in forming wood- 

 buds. 



Many of the 

 leading nursery- 

 men now grow 

 and train trees 

 specially for pot 

 culture, and by 

 purchasing trees 

 two or three years 

 old much time is 

 saved; but they may easily be trained from 

 maidens by cutting them back to one stem 

 with five or six good buds, training the upper- 

 most shoot for a leader, and stopping the 

 horizontal branches when 9 inches Ions: to 



Fig. 990.— Pyramid Peach. Early York. 



