558 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



Part III. 



Sect. III. Culture of the Peach-house. 

 3063. Soil. Abercronibie recommends three parts of mellow unexhausted loam, and 

 one part of drift-sand moderately enriched with vegetable mould, or the cooler dungs. 

 The border or bed to be thirty inches or three feet deep. The nectarine wants tlie 

 warmer, richer, and deeper soil, if any difference be made. (Pr. G. 292.) 



3064. M'Phail recommends the soil for peach-trees which are to be forced, to be " fine loamy welU 

 prepared earth of a-medium texture, neither very light, nor of a strong binding quality, well mixed with 

 some good manure. The border to be four feet deep, and so broad, that the roots cannot get into a 

 bad soil." (ff;-. Rc.7i. 18.) 



3065. Nicol. The bottom being made " comfortable by draining and paving, if not naturally dry, 

 directs the breadth of the border to be the width of the hou-e within, and to the extent of ten or twelve 

 feet without. Tlie average depth thirty inches at tlie least : but if a yard, it would not be too much. The 

 soil to be thus composed \ three fourtlis strong loam, an eiginli part light sandy earth, and an . eighth part 

 rotten stable-vard dung, with a competent quantity of lime and marl ; all being properly mixetl before 

 planting." {ttal. p. 291.) 



3066. Flanagan, for peaches and nectarines, whether in houses or on open walls, uses "the top-spit of a 

 pasture of rich yellow loam, if it can be procured, without adding to it any manure whatever ; if poor and 

 sandy it should' have a little rotten dung added to it, and the whole should be laid up on ridges, and 

 turned over for six months previously to using." {Hort. Trans, vol. v. 57.) 



3067. Choice of sorts. The following list is given by Abercrombie as tlie most proper 

 for forcing : — 



Cling Stones. 

 Late admirable. A] id. Sejjt. 

 Old Newinston. Late in bept 

 Portugal. Knd Sept. 

 Golden. Sept. 

 Catharine. Early in Oct. 

 Monstrous pavie. End Oct. 



PEACHES. 



Free Stones. 

 ■\^Tiite nutmeg. End of July. 

 I^arica Migiionne. i\Iid. Auj;. 

 Bello Clie\-reuse. Late in Aug. 

 ANTiite Magdalen. End -\.ug. 

 Red Magdalen. End Aug. 

 Montauban. End Aug. 



Chancellor. End Aug. 



Early admirable. B«^nn. Seiit. 



IMalfa. Early in Sept. 



Royal Geoi-ge. ."Mid. Sept. 



Noblesse. Afid. Sept. 



Le Teton de \'enus. I^te in Sept. 



Late purple. Late in Sept. 



NECTARINES. 



Cling Stojies. \ Golden. Sept. I Free Stones. | Temple. Sept. 



Red Roman. Late in Aug. Brugnion. Late in Sept. Scarlet. End Aug. I MTiite. Aug. and Sept 



Newington. End Aug. J "* | Murray. Early in Sept | 



3068. M'Phail says, " Tlie names of peach-trees fit for forcing are the Magdalen, 

 Montauban, royal George, and noblesse ; of nectarines, the scarlet, temple, Murray, and 

 red Roman." (G. Bern. -p. 18.) 



3069. Nicol recommends tlie following : — 



PEACHES. 



Red Magdalen I Royal George I Montauban I Teton de Venus [ French Mignonne I Early purple ; and 



^^'hite Magdalen | Noblesse | Admirable | Late purple J Smith's Newiiigton 1 Orange. 



NECTARINES. 



Elruge I Due de TeUo I Scarlet I Murraj | Temple ] Roman | Newington ; and | Brugnion. 



3070. Choice of plnnts. " Before a house for forcing peaches and nectarines be built," 

 M'Phail observes, " trees to plant in it had best be got in readiness ; and if they be 

 growing on the premises it will be an advantage. If it can be avoided, no tree should 

 bo planted in a forcing-house until the fruit of it have been seen and tasted. Tlie trees 

 .should be well trained ones, four or five feet high : indeed it is of no consequence what 

 their age be, provided they be healthy, well rooted, and in a bearing state : and if they 

 have been transplanted several times since they were budded, they will be the fitter for 

 transplanting again ; and if the work of taking tliem up and of planting them in the 

 peach-house be carefully and methodically done, the trees by their removal will be but 

 little retai-ded in their growth. When ever}' thing in a forcing-house is got in readiness 

 for the reception of the trees, loose tlieni from the wall to which they were fastened with 

 nails and shreds, and dig a wide semicircular ti-ench four feet distant from the stem of 

 each tree, and a little deeper than their spreading roots ; then by little and little with a 

 pointed stick work the earth out among their roots, taking care to break as few of them 

 as possible : in this manner the roots of the plants ai-e to be divested of eaith in a careful 

 manner, so as to undermine the stem, that the tree may be lifted out of its place without 

 straining the roots of it. Having holes previously prepared about eight or ten inches 

 deep, and four feet wide, set the trees into them one after another, training their roots 

 out in a regular horizontal manner at full length, and after the ends of tlie roots be cut 

 so as to take the raggedness off, cover them no deeper than about six inches at their 

 extremities, and at the stem of the tree about four inches." 



3071. Nicol prefers clean, healthy dwarfs, that have been one or two years trained, to older plants ; and 

 riders three or even four years trained ; because, being temporarj-, it 'is desirable to have them produce 

 fruit as soon as possible, for if the dwarfs thrive, the former will have to be removed in three, or, at most, 

 in four years. In a house tliirty-five feet long, tliree dwarfs should^Je planted, and in a house thirty-five 

 or forty feet long, four dwarfs ; in both cases with riders between them. [Kal. p. 323.) 



3072. P. Flanagan prefers plants that have been grown in stiff loam and three years trained. 



3073. Situation of the plants in tlie house. Permanent occupants, intended to be forced early, Aber- 

 crombie plants in a front border, training them on a trellis just under the roof. In late forcing-houses, he 

 trains them to an upright trellis near the back wall. 



3074. M'Phail plants so as to train under the glass ; and Nicol's practice concurs with that recom- 

 mended by Abercrombie. 



