THE PEACH AND NECTARINE. 



593 



deep planted, or that effect has been produced by the sinking of the tree or 

 the raising of the border, by taking up and replanting, bringing the roots 

 within six inches of the surface. The operation may be performed in autumn 

 immediately after the fall of the leaf ; and during next summer the surface 

 of the border should be well mulched to retain moisture and encourage the 

 production of fibres. 



1306. Old decaying peach trees may sometimes be renovated by cutting 

 them down and renewing the soil, but in general it is far better to root them 

 out and plant young trees. 



1307. Protecting peach trees during winter and spring. — Tn cold elevated 

 situations some gardeners protect the branches of their peach trees from 

 severe frost by tucking in among them branches of broom, birch, or beech, 

 which serve to check the radiation of heat from the wall. Others, when 

 the branches are frozen, water them well before sunrise, which, when the 

 vegetable tissue is not too far ruptured by frost, saves the branches from 

 injury by thawing them more gradually than the sun would do, as well 

 as by supplying moisture for evaporation. Mr. Barron, at Elvaston Castle, 

 in Derbyshire, a low moist situation, found his peaches, apricots, and plums 

 very subject to the gum, and to die off by whole branches at a time. 

 Suspecting that this might be owing to the effect of the frost on the imper- 

 fectly ripened wood, he hung up netting made of hay ropes before the trees, 

 and at about one foot distance from them, in the beginning of winter, leaving 

 them on all spring, and has never since experienced these evils. The 

 blossoms of peach trees are also protected by tucking in branches of spruce- 

 fir, birch, or beech, which have been cut in summer, and dried and stacked 

 on purpose, and which having been so treated retain their leaves ; and also 

 yew branches, the leaves of which do not drop off like those of the pine and 

 fir tribe. The best protection of this kind, however, is afforded by the leaves 

 of common fern, tucked in along the shoots as shown in fig. 376. The 



Fig. 376. Branch of a peach-tree, with the young wood protected hy fern. 



fitalk of the leaf is introduced into a shred at the base of the lateral 

 shoot which is to bear the fruit, and the point of it is brought to the point 

 of the lateral ; it is there wound once or twice round the nail near the point 

 of the shoot, taking care to reserve an inch or two of the point of the frond to 

 be turned in between the point of the shoot and the wall, which is a sufficient 

 fastening if properly done. As soon as the fruit is set the fern is removed. 



The most efficient mode, however, of protecting the peach and all other 

 wall-fruit trees, is by a thin canvas covering let down from a temporary 

 wooden coping, as used in the Horticultural Society's Garden (463). Another 

 very good mode is that which is described as adopted by Mr. Callow. Iron 

 rods are attached horizontally to the temporary coping, from which bunt-' 



