March.] THE NURSERY. 251 
For peaches and nectarines, several sorts of stocks are occasion- 
ally used; such as plum, peach, almond, and apricot stocks, all rais- 
ed from the stones of the fruit, and the first kind from layers and 
suckers also. If a plum could be procured of such vigorous 
growth, as to keep pace with the peach, it would be an acquisition 
of infinite importance; for on such, the peach would be as perma- 
nent as the plum itself. In Europe, all their peach-trees are worked 
on the plum; but with us, the growth of the peach is so rapid, as 
in a few years to overgrow the stock, when wrought on any of the 
kinds of plum which we have yet procured. The kind particularly 
selected for this purpose in Europe, is the muscle-plum. 
Almonds will take, and grow on any stock which answers for the 
peach. 
Medlars will grow on either medlar, white-thorn, pear, or quince 
stocks; but those of its own genera are preferable. 
Filberts will succeed by budding or grafting on the common 
hazel-nut tree, raised either from the nuts, or by suckers from the 
roots. 
The first thing to be done towards this work, is to select the 
grafts, in the choice of which, the folio sving directions should be 
observed. 1st. That they are shoots of the former year; for, 
when they are older, they never succeed well. 2dly. Always 
to take them from healthy fruitful trees; for, if the trees from 
which they are taken be sickly, the grafts very often partake so 
much of the distemper, as rarely to get the better of it, at least for 
some years; and when they are taken from young luxuriant trees, 
whose vessels are generally large, they will continue to produce 
strong shoots, but will be a long time coming into bearing, and 
are seldom so productive, as those which are taken from fruitful 
trees, whose shoots are more compact, joints closer together, and 
whose system is already organized for bearing. 3dly. You should 
prefer those grafts which are taken from the lateral or horizontal 
branches, to those from the strong perpendicular shoots, for the 
reasons before given. 
When your grafts are cut off, open shallow trenches in a dry 
sheltered situation, and place them thinly therein, with their cut 
ends down, drawing up the earth so as that they may be covered 
two-thirds of their length; then lay some light litter thinly over 
their tops, to prevent their drying. If a small joint of the last 
year's wood be taken off with the cion, it will preserve it the better; 
for the old wood being more compact than the new, will prevent its 
imbibing too much moisture from the earth, whilst kept there, and 
that can be cut away, when you take them up for grafting. If grafts 
are to be carried to any considerable distance, it will be proper to 
pack them up in earth, and surround them with damp moss, if but 
a small quantity, to prevent its drying too soon. 
Always prefer stocks, which were raised in the Nursery from 
seed; next to these, those raised from layers and cuttings; and, 
last of all, such as were pn*duced from suckers; for the last will 
continue to throw up suckers from their roots, much more abund- 
antly than any of the former, to the great annoyance of the borders, 
