C 37 ] 



VI. On Forcing Peaches and Nectarines. By Mr. John 

 Mearns. F. If. S. 



Read March 3, 1835. 



SlR, Welbeck Gardens, Ollerton, 9th Feb. 1835. 



H aving been twice honoured with your Medal for Exhibitions 

 of Peaches and Nectarines sent to the Society ; and as those were 

 the only that I ever sent, I have reason to believe it to arise from 

 my method of cultivation, which differs from the general practice. 

 I have never seen or heard of its being practised by any one else. 



I do not approve of the Dutch method of resting the trees 

 every alternate year, the practice is a bad one, as the tree once 

 forced, when due attention has been paid to the roots, is in the 

 best state for early excitement again ; a tree taken direct from a 

 wall not so, as it is excited two or three months before its natural 

 season. If a judicious attention be paid to the roots, the same 

 tree is far more successfully forced for a great many years. A late 

 gardener to Lord Stafford, on seeing my practice, informed 

 me some years ago of an amateur clergyman near Norwich, who 

 had successfully forced the same trees for more than thirty years. 

 His practice was to take them up every season as soon as they had 

 done growing, and to plant them against a northern aspect till the 

 end of November ; and in the mean time to clear all the soil from 

 his border, and fill it again with well prepared compost. His usual 

 time to commence forcing was the beginning of January. 



I had a small house erected for the experiment at Shobdon 

 Court many years ago to try the practice, and followed it up for 

 two years with success ; but the removal of the trees is unnecessary, 

 as, with a due attention to the roots, the following method answers 



