GLEANINGS ON IIORTIOOLTUKE. 



'29 



During the whole period of culture, keep the borders in a 

 loose, friable state, in order that the sun and air may reach the 

 roots; and, if possible, never crop them with any kind of 

 vegetable, how slightly soever it may be done, within a yard 

 round the stem. The soil, if not light, must be made so by 

 turfy loam from a common, or road scrapings, and by (what is 

 indeed the most essential point,) draining. I have a good brick 

 drain at the bottom of my border a foot deep, and half a foot 

 wide, into which I have small drains, the distance of from four 

 to six yards apart, consisting of two-inch pipes covered in with 

 brushwood and rubble, having about six inches fall. Peach-trees 

 especially require a dry shallow border, for if the roots get 

 into the wet subsoil, they will produce nothing but barren 

 wood ; whereas, under proper management, such as by digging 

 a trench round the roots, about two feet deep, the third autumn, 

 and paring the roots (if required) until the trees are in a bearing 

 state, filling it up again with leaf-mould, or some light compost, 

 short-jointed shoots, full of flower-buds, will be the result. The 

 depth of the soil for peaches need not exceed two feet, and the 

 border ought to be higher than the walks, and sloping from the 

 wall, in order that the heavy rains may run oif immediately. 

 Some people advise the bottom of the border to be jmved with 

 bricks, to prevent the roots from penetrating the unhealthy soil 

 beneath ; but this I am convinced, from dear bought experience, 

 will not answer, except with old trees : a mass of rubble is the 

 best thing to keep the soil dry, and at the same time afford a 

 supply of air to the roots — a material, but too often neglected 

 point. Having procured trained plants, the roots should be 

 spread upon the surface, keeping the stem three inches from the 

 wall, and the roots should not be covered deeper than two inches 

 with light soil, forming a little hillock. I do not recommend any 

 manure but leaf-mould being used (excepting a little from the 

 stable-dung, to mulch them with during the frost), for it tends to 

 the production of wood only. Encourage the growth of the roots 

 near the surface of the border by all means in your power, by 

 never cropping it heavily. 



Peach and nectarine trees seldom require root pruning more 

 than once, and will not endure it lohen advanced in age, except in 

 extreme cases of great luxuriance, for they are not long-lived 

 trees under any circumstances. Great care should be taken to 

 leave no bruises on the roots, and I invariably prune to a bunch 

 of fibres, for fear that in cutting a naked portion, gangrene might 



