328 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



to imbibe nourishment too strong for their constitution, and 

 ultimately bring on a train of diseases, arising, if we may so 

 call it, from a too full habit. GumSy can/cers, and other well- 

 known diseases, derive their origin more fi'om gross feeding 

 than from any other cause, if we except accidental wounds. 



When the mould is first brought from the downs, choose 

 the top spit only, unless the depth of loam be uncommonly 

 good ; the surface is, however, the best, taking care to have 

 all the turf or vegetable matter taken also, which, by under- 

 going decomposition in the process of turning, and ameliora- 

 tion, will greatly enrich the whole. If such earth cannot be 

 got, which is often the case, search must be made for the best 

 that can be found, and if too light, add a portion of stronger 

 loam, or scourings of stagnant ditches which have been for 

 some time exposed to the air to sweeten; blend the whole 

 together, and if not sufficiently strong, add a portion of good 

 garden-mould to it ; but the more simple the preparation, the 

 better will it be. If the mould be too strong, add a sufficient 

 quantity of road scrapings, very rotten vegetable mould, with 

 a small proportion of sand, which contains the least iron that 

 can be got. If at any time, or in any case, in forming or re- 

 newing borders for peach-trees, the composition collected is 

 not rich enough, which will seldom be the case, unless in a 

 very poor soil indeed, and dung must be added, prefer the 

 dung of cows or hogs to that of horses, as being of a more 

 cooling nature, but in all cases, it should be rotten to a com- 

 plete mould. Turf collected by the sides of roads, and loamy 

 ditches cut up and well rotted, form of themselves a good soil 

 for peaches. 



Where this mode may be considered too expensive, let tlie 

 borders be trenched over to the depth of at least three feet ; 

 and, in the process of trenching, remove from it all gravelly 

 or clayey soil, both of which are hurtful to peach-trees, and 

 in proportion to the quantity removed, substitute a like pro- 

 portion of good loam, such as is described above. The better 

 the borders are prepared in the first formation, the less trouble 

 will they be in future, and instead of disappointment arising 

 from want of fi*uit, and dead trees, the quantity of fruit, and 

 health of the trees, will be in proportion to the care taken in 



