236 



PEACH-TKEE 



the others^ which have had the straw, continue as vigorous as 

 ever. ' ^ 



" To guard against frost, plant the trees where the water 

 will run off, and procure the sweetest and richest fruit, as 

 the inferior qualities are more injured by the cold. 



" The splitting of the tree at the forks is guarded against 

 by preserving as many upright branches <is can be spared, 

 by breaking off, in bearing years, more than half the quan- 

 tity of fruit while small, and by pruning almost the whole 

 of every branch beyond where the fruit is set^ leaving only 

 a few buds on each of the succeeding year's fruit. The 

 size of the fruit is by these means rendered larger, more 

 ^ beautiful, and of a higher flavour, and the growth of the 

 tree is rendered more vigorous. 



" Mr. Thomas Coulter, of Bedford county, Penn., asserts 

 that ' The principal causes of peach-trees dying while 

 young are the planting, transplanting and pruning the same 

 stock ; which causes the stock to be open and tender, and 

 the bark of the tree very rough : this roughness of the bark 

 gives opportunities to insects to lodge and breed in it ; and 

 birds search after these insects for their support, and wdth 

 their sharp bills wound the stock in many places ; from 

 which wound the sap of the tree is drawn out, which con- 

 geals, and never fails to kill, or to render the tree useless in 

 a few years. To prevent which, transplant your peach- 

 trees, as young as possible, where you mean them to stand; 

 if in the kernel, so much the better ; because, in that case, 

 there will be no check of growth, which always injures 

 peach-trees. Plant peach-trees sixteen feet apart, both 

 w^ays, except you would wish to take your w^agon through 

 the orchard to carry the peaches away ; in that case give 

 twenty-four feet distance to every fifth row, one way, after 

 transplanting. You may plough and harrow amongst your 

 peaches for two years, paying no regard to w ounding or 

 tearing them, so that you do not take them up by the roots. 

 In the month of March or April, in the third year after 

 transplanting, cut them all off by the ground ; plough and 

 harrow amongst them as before, taking special care not to 

 wound or tear them in the smallest degree, letting all the 

 sprouts grow, that will grow ; cut none away, supposing six 

 or more should come up from the old stump ; the young 

 gcions will grow up to bearing trees on account of the 



* Dr. Thacher observes, that " A band of matting, extending- about six inch- 

 es above, and the same beneath the surface of the earthy maj be found prelt^^a 

 i/jjg io straW; as it is easier appHed,'' 



