THE PEACH AND NECTAKINE. 



497 



only 20°, and are allowed two years' growth be- 

 fore those occupying the centre are allowed to 

 spring : the branches on the upper side, and 

 having the greater elevation, are thus prevented 

 preponderating over those on the lower side, as 

 the sap has to turn at an angle of 90° in course 

 of its passage from the main branches to those 

 on the upper side, while the lower branches di- 

 verging at an angle of not more than 35°, the sap 

 consequently meets with little or no obstruc- 

 tion compared with the others where it has to 

 turn at a right angle. This mode of training is 

 excellent in principle, although, we fear, not 

 readily reduced to practice, because it places the 

 branches in a position the most likely to insure 

 an equal distribution of the sap, which is the 

 end aimed at in every kind of pruning and 

 training. Trees under this mode of manage- 

 ment have for some time been in training in the 

 gardens of the London Horticultural Society. 

 Sufficient time has, however, not as yet elapsed 

 to enable us to speak with certainty as to the re- 

 sult. Of one thing we are, however, certain, — the 

 experiment could not be in better hands than 

 those of Mr Thompson, who, we believe, some 

 years ago tried some expei'iments of a some- 

 what similar kind. Amongst others were the 

 following interesting ones, which are thus re- 

 ported by Mr Thompson : — 



"Amongst various other forms for training 

 the peach, some trees were set off with two 

 stems, like the letter U, from the outsides of 

 which branches are trained horizontally. In 

 one of these, the two lowest horizontals are 

 continuations of the two main stems ; and from 

 the upper side of these, about 18 inches apart, 

 shoots are trained upright and parallel, from 

 which all the other horizontal branches pro- 

 ceed ; also, from both sides of these horizon- 

 tals, bearing shoots, about 18 inches apart, are 

 trained with an inclination forwards. By this 

 mode it is sometimes difficult to maintain an 

 equal degree of vigour in both sides of the tree. 



" Another tree is intended to be trained with 

 a wavy central stem. When in the state of a 

 young shoot, this stem is bent first to the left, 

 then to the right ; and where it commences to 

 turn from left to right, a shoot is encouraged on 

 the outside of the bend, and trained straight to 

 the left, in a direction a little above the hori- 

 zontal. Where the stem shoot is again turned 

 from right to left, another branch is extended 

 to the right ; and so branches are intended to 

 proceed alternately, one on either side, from 

 every outward bend of the stem, till the wall is 

 covered. 



" Trees were trained in the Society's garden 

 with wavy stems, according to the systems of 

 Hittand of Hayward, — the former having strictly 

 horizontal branches from the bends, with per- 

 pendicular bearing shoots ; the latter with 

 gently curved branches, with the bearing shoots 

 inclined. But each tree, in both systems, had 

 two straight naked stems, elevated at an angle 

 of 45°, and A\ feet in length, before they took 

 an upright wavy direction. These naked stems 

 invariably became scorched on the sides exposed 

 to the sun, and the upper portions of the bends 

 were also more or less affected in the same way. 



" Professor Du Breuil's mode is unquestion- 

 ably far preferable to either of the above, inas- 

 much as the tree has only a single stem, from 

 which the wall is furnished from bottom to top, 

 instead of being unfurnished to the height of 4 

 feet, above which the naked stems only begin to 

 branch, according to the systems of Hitt and 

 Hayward. In Professor Du Breuil's tree, there 

 are no long naked stems exposed to the scorch- 

 ing influence of the sun's rays, and even the 

 bends can be protected by foliage. On the 

 whole, this mode is considered highly deserving 

 of a trial in Britain." 



When winter-pruning has been finished, the 

 trees, previous to their being again fastened to 

 the wall or trellis, should, if only for precau- 

 tion's sake, be dressed with the following com- 

 position — namely, to one gallon of warm water 

 add one pound of flour of sulphur and four 

 ounces of soft soap; incorporate the whole 

 together, add some strong clay, and beat up 

 the whole until the mass assumes the consis- 

 tency of thick paint; and, finally, before using, 

 add two quarts of hot or unslaked lime : with 

 this cover the whole of the branches, young and 

 old, laying it on with a painter's brush. This 

 composition will soon dry on the trees, when 

 the process of tying or nailing them to the wall 

 or trellis may be proceeded with. Some add a 

 little soap, which, if it does no good, can evi- 

 dently do no harm. All these properties are 

 very good for young wood, but for all wood of 

 more than two years' growth we prefer vege- 

 table spirits of tar as the universal panacea. 

 Apricots, plums, and cherries, if they need it, 

 may be painted over with either of the above 

 compositions. 



Various modifications in ti-aining the peach 

 and nectarine have been recommended, and 

 tried with more or less success — that of the 

 horizontal way with the least of all success ; 

 and this has been accounted for, because the 

 peach has a seeming disposition to grow by 

 fits, if such a phrase may be used ; that is, a 

 preponderance often occurs in the vital action in 

 one part of the tree more fully than in another ; 

 and as every means should be employed to cor- 

 rect this, the methodical principle of horizontal 

 training is consequently less fitted for it than 

 any of the modifications of fan-training, because, 

 by the latter, too strong young shoots may be 

 corrected by depressing their direction, while 

 those that are weak may be strengthened by 

 placing them in a more elevated position. In- 

 deed, thus depressing or elevating the shoots 

 has much the same control over the flow of the 

 sap as root-pruning and weakened stocks have 

 on most other fruit trees in affording supplies. 



Regarding the longevity of the peach and nec- 

 tarine. — The peach, even in its native country, 

 Persia, is not a tree of great longevity ; and in 

 its transplantation to a climate so inferior as 

 that of Britain, it is natural to suppose its na- 

 ture in this respect is not improved. Soil, 

 situation^ and judicious management have much 

 to do in this matter ; and hence we find a few 

 specimens which have continued in a pretty 

 healthy state, in favourable situations, for nearty 

 half a, century. Perhaps twenty-five years may 



