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HOCKINGS' GARDEN MANUAL, 



management of fruit trees in pots, says : — " I now 

 propose a mode of culture for orchard houses by 

 forming peach and nectarine trees into close, compact 

 pyramids, like an upright cypress. For this purpose, 

 maiden trees with straight stems, and well furnished 

 with lateral shoots, should be selected and planted in 

 eleven-inch pots. They should not be more than from 

 four to five feet high ; if more, their tops may be cut 

 off to that height. Each lateral shoot should be cut 

 into two buds ; these and the buds on the stem will in 

 spring give numerous shoots. As soon as they have 

 made four or five leaves, pinch off the fourth leaf with 

 the end of the shoot, leaving three, not reckoning one 

 or two small leaves generally found at the base of each 

 shoot, which are without buds in their axils, and will not 

 put forth a shoot. These pinched shoots will soon put 

 forth a fresh crop ; every shoot of this second crop should 

 he suffered to grow till it has made four or five leaves, 

 and then he pinched to two leaves ; and all succeeding 

 crops of shoots must he pinched off to one leaf as soon as 

 four or five leaves are formed, unless larger and more 

 spreading pyramids are desired. In such cases three or 

 even five leaves m.ay he pinched down to with advantage." 



It may be remarked that, if from any temporary 

 neglect of pinching, the shoots are allowed to grow 

 long, they should be cut back to within three or four 

 leaves of the main stem, and afterwards subjected to 

 the treatment previously described. 



It is probable that larger pots would be necessary 

 in this climate, and experiments are now being made 

 with those measuring sixteen inches. 



Mr. Rivers states that peach and other trees may be 

 grown in pots, and preserved in perfect health and 

 fruitfulness for twenty years without re-potting, by the 

 liberal use of liquid manure, and an annual top-dressing 

 of rich compost. He recommends one pound of guano 

 to twelve gallons of water, and that the trees have a 

 good soaking of this once a week, pure water being 



