56 



THE GARDENER. 



do not afterwards succeed, gumming being apt to 

 take place at the union. It is rarely budded on 

 the peach stock, but frequently on the almond, es- 

 pecially in France. In this country however it is pro- 

 pagated almost entirely on the plum stock, vrhich is 

 not only much hardier, but also possesses the pro- 

 perty of spreading its roots nearer the surface than 

 either of the two preceding kinds ; thereby affording 

 to the peach a more cong-enial nourishment in conse- 

 quence of the roots being within the influence of the 

 solar heat. Whereas the peach stock tends to strike 

 downwards sti'ong tap-like roots beyond the depth of 

 the stratum warmed by the summer-heat : and al- 

 though the latter trees grow vigorously for a few years, 

 or so long as the roots have not penetrated too deep, 

 yet they afterwards become sickly, their foliage be- 

 comes narrow, acquires a yellowish colour, and 

 the trees ultimately perish. The muscle and white 

 IDear-plum are the varieties of plum stocks on which 

 the peach is budded; the latter is esteemed the best. 

 The French prefer the St. Julien plum stock, which 

 answers exceedingly well. 



The peach succeeds in any rich fresh loamy soil ; 

 but the subsoil, like that for all fruit-trees, ought not 

 to be retentive, and a very complete mode of drainage 

 is absolutely necessary. It would also be desirable 

 that the roots should not be allowed to penetrate 

 deeper than two feet from the surface. No objections 

 could be made as'ainst the roots following their natural 

 tendency downwards to whatever distance they might 

 go, if their extremities Avere at the same time in a 

 medium congenial to the peach as regards tempera- 

 ture ; but this cannot be the case in Britain, unless 

 perhaps some chalk subsoils may form exceptions. It 

 is known by experience, that when the roots are in a 

 medium of much lower temperature than the mean of 

 that of the atmosphere during the growing period, the 



