30 



GLEANINGS ON HORTICULTURE. 



ensue through a part of the root dying back. I last autumn 

 trenched round my four-year old trees (about three feet from the 

 stem), which are very luxuriant, and cut by this means U7ider the 

 roots at that distance. 



From this trench, about two feet deep, I got at any tap-root, 

 by scooping the earth away on one side, so as to get quite under- 

 neath; but I fear that this system of root-pruning will not 

 succeed with a peach-tree, nectarine, or apricot (even grafted on 

 an apricot stock) that is eight years old. A tree generally throws 

 out its roots as far as the branches extend ; form an ideal circle 

 to that distance; for the luxuriant trees, cut away one-third — of 

 course the outer circle ; for the very luxuriant, cut away half the 

 circle. 



I have root-pruned my young apricots, grafted on Almond and 

 Apricot-stocks (instead of, as formerly, on Plum-stocks, which 

 prevented the sap from rising at the proper period, and the 

 branches kept dying annually, and the tree did not live out half 

 its days) in this way with advantage; but the operation should 

 not, however, be carried to an extreme, for, like peaches and 

 nectarines, their power of rallying again is not so great as with 

 the pear-tree. 



All nailing should be finished by January, and never drive the 

 nail close to the shoot in order to fix it straight, for by this 

 means the shoots get wounded. A very slight degree of atten- 

 tion in placing the shreds alternately in opposite directions, will 

 be sufficient to hold them perfectly firm and straight. If the 

 ground is wet from heavy rains, get some planks or boards to 

 stand on. Small branches of spruce firs, stuck top downwards 

 among the shoots of wall-trees, will, during slight frosts in the 

 Spring, protect them ; but no material is so efficient as the calico 

 coverings, before-mentioned, for either wall-trees or frames. 

 Great attention must be paid to the disbudding of apricots, 

 making it as a rule, that the foreright and all buds be taken 

 away, excepting the leader and the bud near the base on the 

 upper side of the shoot. A few spurs may be also left, and lay 

 in the wood from four to six inches apart, curving each branch 

 to check the sap. The shoots can be stopped when it is wanted 

 to fill up a vacant space. Should green-fly appear on peaches, 

 instead of the usual morning or afternoon syringing with tepid 

 water, wash them with tobacco- water, or with soap-water and 

 sulphur, also applied by the engine. Attend to dishlossoming and 

 disbudding ; and in pruning, leave no more wood than is requi- 



