THE ORCHARD-HOUSE. 



131 



and it is dimng this period that the duplicate pots 

 for slipping- the trees into are of so much service in 

 protecting- the delicate roots from the rays of a July 

 sun. If the trees are kept well mulched from the 

 setting up to the ripening of the fruit, such a covering 

 of rich compost will be found a great protection to 

 the surface roots, independently of its stimulating 

 virtues. Stimulating liquids of various kinds will 

 of course be applied during the heavy strain. These 

 should always be given when the soil is in a good 

 growing state, and on no account should they be ap- 

 plied strong. 



Syringing. — Notwithstanding the fact that the 

 Peach is a moisture-loving plant, and many failures 

 may be traced to the want of water at certain 

 periods of its growth, all good 'fruit-growers agree 

 that copious and incessant syringing from the time 

 the trees are started until they begin to open their 

 flowers is a mistake. In the first place, incessant 

 syringing has a tendency to bring the foliage in 

 advance of the flowers, when the fruit rarely sets or 

 swells away so freely as it does when the wood-buds 

 are kept in check, not by starvation at the roots, as 

 they must never be allowed to get dry, but by damp- 

 ing the paths and floors in preference to the direct 

 syringing of the trees. Therefore, in order to pre- 

 vent the wood-buds from getting too forward, or 

 the flower-buds from being injured hj cold water 

 hanging about them, let direct syringing be confined 

 to bright mornings after cold nights, when extra 

 fire-heat has been applied, and keep the atmosphere 

 properly charged with moisture by damping the 

 paths, walls, and all available spaces, during the 

 time the ventilators are open, and again after they 

 are closed in the evening. As soon as the fruit is 

 set, apply the syringe vigorously every fine morning 

 when the temperature begins to rise, and again after 

 the house is closed with solar heat. Alwaj's use 

 clean water at the mean temperature of the house, 

 and apply it with considerable force to the under 

 sides of the leaves, where spider and fly are most 

 likely to find their first foot-hold. Syringing when- 

 ever the weather is fine should be continued in this 

 way until the fruit is ripening, when it must be 

 given up, otherwise the fruit will be soft and defi- 

 cient in flavour. The Peach, when carrying a 

 heavy crop of fruit, being so subject to spider, may 

 be syringed as early as six o'clock in the morning 

 through the summer months, as the foliage will 

 then have time to revel in its bath before evapora- 

 tion by increased ventilation takes place, and it 

 may be syringed as late as five o'clock in the after- 

 noon when shut up for the day. Later than this, it 

 should not be syringed, as trees in cold houses are 

 apt to get too gross when the foliage remains wet 



through the night. As a cleansing stimulant to 

 the foliage, clear soot- water may be applied occa- 

 sionally,either with the syringe or engine, and, as has 

 already been said, its application to the roots will give 

 a dark, healthy appearance to the fruit and foliage. 



Fertilisation.— It is generally admitted that 

 Peaches and Nectarines under orchard-house treat- 

 ment require artificial fertilisation either with their 

 own or, better still, with foreign pollen. Free kinds 

 like Royal George Peach and Elruge Nectarine may, 

 and generally do, set an abundance of fruit without 

 this process, but many of the shy pollen-producing 

 varieties are greatly benefited by having the brush 

 passed over them when the pollen is ripe and fit for 

 its ofiice. As male parents, it is questionable if the 

 Peach and Nectarine above named are not the best, 

 but being rather late mid-season kinds, many of the 

 newer early varieties are often get and swelling by 

 the time they come into flower. The conditions most 

 favourable to setting the fruit are a dry buoyant 

 atmosphere, in ^'hich the pollen can ripen, and float 

 when it is liberated, bright sunny weather to raise 

 the temperature of the house fully to the maxi- 

 mum, plenty of air, and gentle fire-heat when these 

 conditions cannot be obtained without it. Another 

 important point is vigorous root-action in a clean 

 well-filled pot, placed in a medium equal to the mean 

 temperature of the .house. When the trees are in 

 full flower, and pollen flies ofl freely in response to a 

 sharp rap on the stem, they are in a fit state for arti- 

 ficial fertilisation ; then with a camel' s-hair pencil, or 

 a rabbit's tail, pass over each tree with a light and 

 careful hand, but avoid bruising- the tender organs of 

 fructification, otherwise injury, instead of benefit, 

 will be the result of the operation. Always commence 

 with the most forward and prolific poUen-producing 

 kinds, and when the brush is well charged pass it 

 over the large-flowered section and others which do 

 not as a rule produce pollen so freely. Repeat the 

 operation from day to day when the temperature of 

 the house has reached the maximum, until the petals 

 begin to fall, when, all having gone well, the young 

 fruits with straight bold pistils will be seen emerging 

 from the remains of the decaying flowers. Some 

 growers syringe their trees when in flower to set the 

 fruit ; others, often succeeding quite as well as those 

 who take greater pains, leave them to the agency of 

 insects, combined with a sharp blow on the stem with 

 the hand and a free circulation of air. But expe- 

 rience has proved that many delicate kinds have 

 failed through neglect of this simple and interesting 

 operation, while many experienced Peach-growers are 

 of opinion that this artificial aid adds Aveight to every 

 fruit so fertilised, and very often prevents splittin;.^; 

 of the stones when the Peaches begin to ripen. 



