PEACHES. 



113 



repeated, as the soil is always mucli loosened by frost. 

 If this method be followed, peaches and nectarines may 

 be made to flourish in our dry Southern counties, where 

 they have hitherto brought nothing but disappointment. 

 Any plan Yvhich will make wall fruit flourish on a dis- 

 appointing light soil is most valuable. 



Peaches and nectarines should be budded upon 

 muscle or pear-plum stocks. The young stocks should 

 be planted out in the nursery three feet apart, in rows 

 four feet apart, and good, clean, healthy little trees 

 should be chosen. The muscle stock may be budded 

 the year after it is planted out, when the stem seldom 

 exceeds two inches in circumference ; and if it be 

 smaller than that, so much the better. The pear-plum 

 stocks may be budded the second year after they are 

 planted out, as they are seldom thick enough the first 

 year. 



Most wall fruit trees are wanted for training. Choose 

 maiden plants,, or young trees which have not been cut 

 back, and bud them in July. Put in the bud in front, 

 pointing outwards, about six inches above the ground, 

 and it will remain dormant until the following spring. 

 Then cut ofi" the head of the stock close above the bud, 

 taking care that the cut is made clean, and slanting from 

 the front towards the back. Some gardeners paint over 

 the cut with white lead, or similar mixture, to exclude 

 wet and air. During the summer the bud will produce 

 a long shoot. The following spring it must be cut 

 back to five or six inches lono:, leavinoj five or seven 

 eyes. This summer the shoots must be carefully trained, 

 and kept free from insects, and in the autumn the tree 

 may be planted against a wall, in the place where it is 

 to remain. If preferred, the stock may be planted 

 against the wall before it is budded. 



The Americans are said to use stocks raised from the 

 peach-stone ; but their trees do not appear to be lasting. 

 The stones may be dried and sown in the autumn, either 

 with or without heat. When they shoot, care must be 

 taken to preserve them from the mice ; and when the 

 young trees are pretty well grown, they may be planted 



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