MR. It. THOMPSON— ON PEACH- AND NECTARINE-TREES. 115 



XXVIII. Report on Peach- and Nectarine-Trees at Chatsworth. 

 By Mr. Robert Thompson, Royal Horticultural Society's 

 Gardens, Chiswick. With a Note by the Editor. 



An application was made by the Duke of Devonshire to tho 

 Horticultural Society to send down some one without delay to 

 inspect some Peach- and Nectarine-trees which were in a very 

 unsatisfactory condition at Chatsworth. Mr. Thompson was 

 accordingly sent down"; and the following report is the result of 

 his inspection. The case was afterwards submitted to the editor, 

 who has therefore appended a note, founded not on personal ob- 

 servation of the trees themselves, but on specimens forwarded at 

 the desire of the Duke, who has kindly sanctioned the publication 

 of the Report. 



The trees which form the subject of this Report are planted in 

 a peach-house, and are old ; and one of them in particular is re- 

 markable for its size. It is considered the largest peach-tree in 

 England ; and as regards the extent and thickness of its branches 

 is perhaps unequalled in the world. It appears to be upwards of 

 fifty years old. Its limbs seem to be the original ones from the 

 stem ; they are very thick, and may be termed massive. The peach 

 is not naturally a long-lived tree compared with the apple, pear, 

 vine, &c. ; nevertheless this one has borne well till lately, as the 

 others have likewise done in the same house. 



The present state of these trees is not satisfactory. The shoots 

 are weak, and seem not likely to be able to push buds for fruit, 

 or young shoots and leaves sufficient to carry on the vegetation 

 of the trees. Although weakly, they are endeavouring to push 

 even now some blossom-buds ; but instead of these buds becoming 

 of a plump, roundish- ovate form, they are slender and elongated ; 

 and at the same time the parts of fructification are further 

 advanced than they ought to be. The stamens exhibit the yellow 

 colour which we expect to see in buds that are plump and ready 

 to burst into flower. This indicates weakness ; for the last efforts 

 of a sickly plant are more especially directed towards the parts of 

 fructification, if the rudiments of such have been formed, as they 

 have been partially in this case. The shoots are too weak to 

 nourish the blossom-buds, or even the wood-buds ; the former in 

 consequence must prove abortive, and the latter unable to push 

 any but still weaker shoots. In the usual mode of managing 

 the peach-tree, weakly shoots are frequently to be met with 

 amongst others vigorous enough ; but in the trees in question a 



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