106 
CULTIVATION OF THE PEACH. 
Whenever a leaf is observed having a 
warted or blistered appearance, it had better 
be removed : this is the work of insects, and 
the excrescence will serve as a subsequent 
shelter and habitation for others. If the 
insects Aphides take up their abode upon 
the trees, the young branches upon which they 
usually congregate should be taken between 
the thumb and finger, and the insects crushed ; 
afterwards, a good washing with a garden 
engine, repeated every day or two, using pure 
soft water, will effectually dislodge them. 
The shoots which ai'e retained for the next 
season's bearing, must, from time to time, be 
carefully nailed or fastened to the wall, which 
answers a two-fold purpose : the shoots are 
thereby secured from injury from storms of 
wind, and their maturity is assisted by the 
reflected heat of the wall, which they expe- 
rience in a greater degree when quite con- 
tiguous to it. Nailing should be performed 
with a small shred and nail ; but no com- 
pression whatever should be used on the 
shoot — it should be allowed two or three times 
its diameter, in order that it may swell out, 
without contraction or confinement from the 
shred. 
About Midsummer a second growth gene- 
rally takes place : it is equally requisite, 
still, to prevent a thick and crowded state of 
the shoots and leaves, and equally requisite to 
remove what requires removal ; and this 
should be done by a continuous and constantly 
recurring care and attention, rather than by 
one or two severe and determined thinnings. 
These sudden changes are at all times inju- 
rious to the growth of plants, and may be 
considered as being especially so when young 
fruit are swelling off. 
There are two other operations which it is 
necessary to refer to ; these are, the pro- 
tection of the blossoms in spring, and the 
watering of the border during the summer. 
The material most effective for the first of 
these objects is a loose kind of woollen net, the 
meshes of which are about half an inch apart. 
It may be applied thus.; — from the top of the 
wall to the ground, at about 3 feet distant 
from the base, a series of stout straight rods 
should be placed ; the net should be fastened 
at the top, and should extend downwards, 
resting on the rods, and covering about one- 
third of the height of the wall ; at the lowest 
point to which it reaches it should be secured 
to the poles, so as not to be dislodged by the 
wind. The loose open nature of the material 
will admit sufficient light to penetrate, so that 
it may remain in this state until all danger 
of frost is over ; its oblique position, with 
respect to the walls, will not only favour the 
admission of light and sun, but is effectual in 
guarding off spring frosts, whose influence is 
most commonly vertical ; when this covering 
is removed it should be done gradually. 
The necessity of watering the border during 
summer will depend entirely on the season : 
if this should chance to be dry and sunny, the 
border should receive two or three soaking 
waterings, during the early stages of growth ; 
but if the season is damp and showery, it will 
not, probably, require any other watering : 
whenever it is done, it should be done effec- 
tually. The use of the garden engine can 
hardly be too frequently persevered in during 
fine weather, from the time the fruit is set, 
until it is approaching near maturity. It 
should be used towards the evening, or in dull 
cloudy weather, and never during bright sun- 
shine. Its use will be to cleanse the branches 
and the leaves, which latter, as we have 
already seen, are the organs of respiration, 
from any filthiness or dust which may have 
lodged on them, and thereby tend to check 
the exercise of their functional duties ; it will 
serve to dislodge any insects which may seek 
to establish themselves, and that in a far more 
rational and effective manner than by smearing 
the branches with any foetid composition, with 
the view of rendering the tree nauseous to 
them ; and as plants derive some portion of 
nourishment directly from their leaves, it will 
serve to present them, from time to time, 
with materials which they can appropriate to 
their use — for water, though apparently pure, 
does furnish nutriment to plants. 
In ascertaining the ripeness of the fruit, it 
should not be pressed by the fingers, as is 
often done.; but it should be gently lifted 
upwards, and if sufficiently ripe, it will be 
readdy detached ; on the other hand, if it is 
at all firmly attached, it is a certain sign that 
it is not sufficiently ripened. 
The Peach-tree is not exempt from the 
attacks both of insects and disease. Among 
the former, the red spider and the thrip are 
the most troublesome ; and, although they 
are very minute, yet their reproduction is so 
rapid, that they sometimes attain considerable 
numerical strength, and commit great devas- 
tation by feeding on the under part of the 
leaves, which then turn yellow and unsightly, 
and become unable to perform their proper 
functions. The presence of the insects in 
such swarms is, however, an index of neglect ; 
for, if the trees are properly dressed from 
time to time, and the infested leaves removed, 
and if the engine is kept continually in use, 
they will be unable, under such circumstances, 
to establish themselves : where they have 
become established, it is almost impossible 
entirely to remove them ; the best, though it 
is a filthy and unsightly means of annoying 
them, is to sprinkle the trees with diluted 
soap-suds ; but this, besides being unsightly, 
