Growing Peaches in the Greenhouse—By I. L. Powell, 
New 
York 
AN UNUSUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE AMATEUR—A PROFESSIONAL GARDENER WITH REPUTATION FOR ‘“‘FRUIT UNDER 
GLASS’’ TELLS HOW TO RAISE PEACHES WEIGHING THREE QUARTERS OF A POUND AND HAVE THEM RIPE BY JUNE Isr 
JT IS perfectly practical for the amateur 
with only one greenhouse to enjoy the 
luxury of such luscious peaches and plums as 
are unknown outdoors, and at a time of the 
year, too, when outdoor fruits cannot be had. 
Under glass, peaches and plums may be had 
easily for four months, beginning in June, by 
a judicious selection of varieties (a list is 
given on page 304) and putting the trees into 
heat at proper intervals. A house 50 x 20 ft., 
accomodating say sixteen trees, will give a 
fair supply, while from a house 100 x 20 ft., 
an abundant supply may be had. The best 
results will be had when a whole house, or 
entire section at least, is devoted to them, and 
the trees planted out permanently, but if you 
have only one greenhouse, 
trees in tubs or pots may be 
successfully handled with 
other plants, always pro- 
vided that they require the 
same temperature. 
Trees that have been 
growing in pots or tubs may 
be planted at any time of the 
year. If taken from the 
pen ground they should be 
planted in the fall, or early 
spring. Allow space for a 
spread of six to ten feet on 
each side of the tree. 
For permanently planted 
trees, the time that the fruit 
is desired has an important 
bearing upon the position 
of the house—thus, for early 
forcing, it should face the 
south ; for late fruit, it 
should face east and west; 
that is, an even span run- 
ning north and south. 
If the site is not natur- 
ally well drained, put in a 
t-foot layer of _ stone, 
broken bricks, or old mortar 
rubbish, with tile drains 
running through, and car- 
ried to some lower level. 
Land that is sloping, and 
underlaid with sand, gravel, 
or slate rock, will not require any drainage. 
HOME-MADE FORCING TREES 
Generally the fruit trees used for green- 
house culture are bought from nurserymen 
who make a specialty of importing them from 
Europe, where they are specially grown for 
greenhouse planting and training. Good 
trees, however, may be raised in your own 
garden. Buy from some reliable nurseryman 
early in the spring, trees of the desired 
varieties in 3-to 4-foot sizes. Plant them 
out of doors, where they may be culti- 
vated and watered, and cut back to eighteen 
or twenty-four inches. They will make 
strong, firm growth under this treatment, 
treme thinning. 
and may be taken up and put in pots or tubs 
in the fall before severe weather sets in. 
These will also make first class trees for 
planting in borders permanently. 
If the trees are in tubs, store for the winter 
in some reasonably dry building, where the 
temperature does not fall lower than 10° F. 
The following year they may be grown out of 
doors in some place convenient for watering, 
syringing, etc., and will be ready for forcing 
the winter or spring following. During this 
preparatory period they will be benefited 
by feeding with manure water, and also by 
a mulch of manure toward the end of the 
summer. If well cared for they will be in 
good condition for producing fruit at any 
A twelve ounce fruit of Lady Palmerston peach, the result of growing under glass, and ex: 
One of the best late varieties, ripening indoors in September 
time. They can be stored as directed for 
the previous year, and taken into the green- 
house as required. 
FEEDING FUTURE CROPS 
Trees planted in borders prepared as 
directed, will require no feeding for the first 
two years. If the growth has been extremely 
strong, it will be advisable to feed a little the 
third year after planting. As soon as the 
trees begin to show signs of growth remove 
a thin layer (about one inch) of the surface soil 
of the border and give a dressing of bone 
meal, using one pound to two square yards 
of surface. Then give a coating of good well 
rotted manure, forking all into the soil, being 
292 
careful not to disturb any roots. As soon as 
the trees require it give a thorough watering. 
After the fruit is well set give the borders a 
dressing of wood ashes, one-half bushel to 
roo square feet of surface, stirring them into 
the soil with a rake, and watering them in 
when the borders require water. The neces- 
sity of watering must be determined by an 
examination of the soil, digging into the 
borders to a depth of twelve inches or more. 
After the fruit has reached the stoning 
period, a good watering with liquid manure 
should be given, or some good chemical 
fertilizer containing 3 to 4 per cent. of nitro- 
gen, 10 to 12 per cent. of phosphoric acid, 
and 8 to ro per cent. of potash may be ap- 
plied at the rate of three 
pounds to roo square feet of 
surface and watered in 
when the borders require 
watering, which will be 
quite frequently at that time 
if the weather is at all hot 
and dry, as the trees will be 
growing rapidly, and using 
considerable water every 
day, and any neglect to keep 
them well supplied will pre- 
vent the proper development 
of both trees and fruit. 
Trees that are grown in 
pots or tubs will require 
more feeding than those 
grown in borders. As soon 
as they show signs of growth 
give an application of bone 
meal, a good open handful 
to a tree ina 15-inch tub 
or box, and larger or smaller 
ones in proportion. As 
soon as the fruit is well 
set and growth is well 
started, give a watering 
with some form of weak 
nitrogenous fertilizer. Ni- 
trate of soda at the rate of 
one ounce to four gallons of 
water is good, as is weak 
cow manure water. This 
dose may be repeated at 
intervals of ten days or two weeks until 
the fruit has reached the stoning period, 
when a dressing of wood ashes should be 
given at the rate of one handful to a 15-inch 
pot. Liquid manure may be given again in a 
week’s time; and during the future growing 
season alternate waterings of liquid manure 
and chemical fertilizer as described for the 
borders should be given once a week. After 
the crops have been gathered give a mulching 
of cow manure. 
SOIL FOR BORDER AND TUBS 
To prepare the border, remove t he present 
soil to a depth of three to four feet, putting in 
drainage material. On this place a layer 
