IOl8 THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Nectarines. 



In the Open. — Of late years a very marked advance has 

 been made in these delicious fruits. New varieties have been 

 introduced by Messrs. Rivers and Sons, Sawbridgeworth, and also 

 one by Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, Chelsea, which enable the 

 cultivator to pick ripe fruit outside on open walls at the end of 

 June or early in July, thus prolonging the season for several 

 weeks. The chief points essential to success are a warm 

 situation, good drainage, suitable soil, a correct method of 

 pruning and training the trees, and perfect cleanliness. In some 

 parts of the North really excellent crops of Nectarines are grown ; 

 but unless the situation is very favourable indeed, the planting 

 of trees outside cannot be recommended very far north of the 

 Trent. Further South there should be little difficulty in growing 

 both trees and fruit to perfection, providing the points already 

 enumerated receive requisite attention. Walls facing the south 

 or south-west, and sheltered from cutting draughts of wind, are 

 the most suitable aspects for Nectarines (these remarks also 

 apply to Peaches), and such sites are available in almost every 

 garden of any extent. 



Having decided on which wall the trees are to be trained, 

 the first operation should be to see that the drainage is in good 

 order. If the soil is resting on gravel, no artificial drainage will 

 be necessary, as all surplus water will quickly disappear. But 

 if on rock of any kind, it may prove too wet for the good health 

 of the trees, and it will be better to make quite sure by putting 

 in a drain a few feet from the wall. Again, where the sub-soil 

 is of a clayey nature, it is wise to drain ; in fact, the importance 

 of good drainage for fruit-trees can scarcely be over-estimated, 

 especially when of a tender disposition, like the one under notice. 

 Soil properly drained is much warmer in winter and cooler in 

 summer than undrained ground, and therefore the former is a 

 more suitable rooting medium. Soil varies so much in different 

 gardens, that the local conditions must rule what should be done 

 to make it in a proper state for the future welfare of the trees. 

 If very light, the addition of marl or heavy loam is desirable, as 

 Nectarines enjoy a moderately heavy soil. On the other hand, if it 

 is tenacious or heavy, the addition of burnt garden refuse, road- 

 scrapings, or parings is beneficial. In each case the new soil 

 should, if possible, be of a fibrous character. Deep borders should 

 be avoided. If only about 2ft. deep they will be all the better for 

 the trees, and every effort should be made to retain the roots in 

 the 2ft. border ; when they descend in quantity to a lower 

 depth they are beyond solar influences, and often get into some- 

 thing more or less injurious, causing gumming or unripened wood. 

 In thousands of instances no great care has been taken to prepare 

 any border whatever, but there has been naturally a good situation, 

 or if not the trees have succeeded very well for a few years and 



