PROCKEPINGS OF THF. 



with one trellis t)nly,whii h runs parallel with the roof at the dis- 

 tance of fourteen inches, excepting the base of the trellis, which 

 meets the jj^round at tl»irty-six inches from the front lights ; the 

 front wall is on arches, and the tree planted inside, consecpiently it 

 has roots both inside and outside. The house is heated with hot 

 water, and the roof is curvilinear, the laps hein^ leaded with a hole 

 in the centre for the escape of condensed steam. TIjc border for 

 the jHMch tree was excavated to the depth of forty-two inches 

 and the width of twenty-one feet ; com|)letely drained and covered 

 one foot in depth with old bricks and stones, on wliich was laid 

 three inches of lime rubbi.sh, out of which all small j)articles had 

 been carefully sifted. The latter was covered with thin turfs of 

 heath soil ; and finally a sprinkling of small gravel stones was 

 swept into all the crevices. 'i1ie whole was then covered to the 

 depth of twenty-four inches with a compost consistin«^ of good 

 maiden loam, leaves in a fresh state, horse dung, sharp sand, and 

 bone waste. 



Tlie best tree on the open walls was selected in the end of 

 January for i)lacing in the house, and its roots were cut the year 

 previous, to check luxuriance. The pruning knife had been 

 severely applied to the young wood previous to removal, more 

 especially as regards thinning, but the old wood was not interfered 

 with, as the author has a strong objection to cutting large or old 

 wood from peach trees, unless in cases of strong necessity. 



The tree once placed in its situation every fibre of the root was 

 as carefully trained as the shoots, care being taken to carry a large 

 portion of the superior roots through the front arches into the 

 outside border. In the first week of February the tree was 

 dressed all over with a mixture of soft soap, sulphur, and tobacco 

 water, rubbed carefully into every crevice, and when perfectly 

 dry the wounds caused by pruning were coated over with thick 

 paint. 



Forcing begins in the middle of February, but the heat for the 

 first fortnight did not exceed SO^' by day, and 36'^ by night. The 

 house is steamed profusely morning and night all the season, 

 with the exception of the flowering time, and during the ripening 

 of the fruit. After the blossoms were set the heat was increased 

 slowly, and for some weeks was about 60° by day, and was 

 allowed to sink generally as low as 38" at night. 



The tree ripened about eight dozen peaches in the same sum- 

 mer in which it was planted, and during that, with the succeeding 

 seven years, it has produced at least two thousand four hundred 

 large and fine fruit ; the largest peach ever gathered weighed 

 12^ oz. ; hundreds more were gathered from 9 to 1 1 oz, in weight. 

 The tree in December, 1839, was exposed to the weather and full 

 of excellent wood, covering completely a surface of four hundred 

 and eighty feet. 



The author next proceeded to detail the general management 



