NAT. ORDER. AMADYLACEJE. 113 
gravelly, remove the grossest part, excavating to the proper depth ; 
and in the same proportion apply a compost as above. Let the soil 
be made good to the depth of thirty inches or three feet. The nec- 
tarine wants the warmer, richer and deeper soil, if any difference be 
made. Bad, cold ground, or an exhausted mould, is often the cause 
of the trees gumming." Forsyth says, " Peaches require a lightei 
soil than pears and plums, and a light mellow loam is best." 
Choke of plants. Abercrombie, Forsyth, Nicol, and most 
authors agree in recommending the choice of trees, two, three or four 
years trained. Forsyth says they should be procured in the latter 
end of October or beginning of November, as soon as the leaf begins 
to fall. 
Final planting. In England, France, and many parts of Europe, 
the Peach is almost universally planted against walls, in order to 
protect them against frosts : in some warm situations they have been 
tried as dwarf standards, or as low espaliers, covering with mats in 
the spring, to protect their blossoms ; but in this country, especially 
in many parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Peach is planted 
in the open field, in rows about four feet apart, and from six to twelve 
inches from each other, and with proper attention form beautiful 
nurseries. Early autumn planting is best on dry soils. Spring 
planting may be successfully performed in February and March, but 
the sooner the better, that the trees may take root immediately before 
the dry warm weather commences. 
Mode of bearing. All the varieties of the Peach and nectarines 
bear the fruit upon the young wood of a year old ; the blossom-buds 
arise immediately from the eyes of the shoots. The same shoot 
seldom bears after the first year, except on some casual small spurs 
on the two years wood, which is not to be counted upon. Hence 
the trees are to be pruned as bearing entirely on the shoots of the 
preceding year, and a full supply of every year's shoots must be 
trained in for successional bearers the following season. 
The summer pruning. In May and June, and occasionally in 
