By Mr. Walter Henderson. 211 



a gentle sprinkling over the leaves with water, once every six 

 or seven days ; this I do in the forenoon, in order that the 

 leaves may become dry before night ; about the middle of 

 March I sprinkle the trees in the afternoon, this keeps the 

 air in the house moist and kindly through the night. The 

 trees now beginning to make wood for next year's crop, I go 

 over them with care, and rub off a quantity of the young 

 shoots, observing to keep those which are left in a kind of 

 regular order, none being preserved except where there is 

 room for them. I do not tie in these young shoots that are 

 left for next year's crop, but allow them to grow upright with 

 their tops to the glass ; by this means I do not crowd or dis- 

 turb the shoots whereon the fruit is growing ; there is suffi- 

 cient of sun and air betwixt these young upright shoots to 

 ripen the Peaches, and give them both fine colour and good 

 flavour. As the season advances I give the trees a good 

 sprinkling over the leaves, twice every week, betwixt four 

 and five o'clock in the afternoon, in order that they may get 

 the benefit of the water through the night ; I continue the 

 sprinkling while warm sunny weather continues, but if the 

 weather happens to be dull and cloudy, I discontinue the 

 sprinkling till warm sun returns. About two weeks after the 

 Peaches have taken the ripening swelling, I stop the sprinkl- 

 ing, give the house a great deal of air, and keep no fire heat 

 through the day ; but, if the weather be dark or wet, I put 

 on a little fire every night. If the weather happens to be 

 warm and dry, I give the house air through the night, and no 

 fire heat. By treating them in this way the Peaches come 

 well coloured, well flavoured, and of a great size, few Peaches 

 in the house being produced, less than half a pound, or eight 



