September 25, 1890. 1 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
269 
be left for a rich top-dressing as soon as the buds are set. As the days 
lengthen they will make rapid growth, and by the middle of March the 
shoots should be again stopped, and two more growths secured from 
each. This will give twelve shoots to each plant. Early in April they 
may be stood out of doors in a sheltered place, and the shoots secured to 
thin stakes. Those plants required for flowering early in August should 
have their shoots stopped early in May, and those for flowering in 
September a month later, and in both cases select, as before, two growths 
from each shoot, and rub off all the others ; each plant will thus have 
twenty-four shoots. 
When the pots are full of roots the plants should be watered with weak 
liquid manure, made either from the farm tank or from animal manure, 
with a little soot added. When the flowers appear remove all except 
one on the point of each shoot, for plants in 8-inch and 9-inch pots will 
not develop more than twenty-four blooms to perfection—indeed, they 
will not do that unless they have been well managed throughout. Each 
shoot should be secured to stakes reaching about 5 inches above the point 
of the last break, and top-dressed with equal parts of mellow manure 
and loam. Gradually increase the strength of the manure water, and 
continue giving it to them until the flowers show colour, for there is 
little fear of “damping” when plants are carrying this number of 
flowers. Just before the flowers unfold remove them to a light cool 
airy house, as the wet and wind out of doors often soil the blooms and 
hasten decay. If any of the plants are required for cutting purposes 
about four buds should be allowed to expand, as although they will not 
be large perfect blooms they will be found more serviceable for arrang¬ 
ing in stands. 
Aphides and mildew are sometimes troublesome on Chrysanthemums, 
but are easily destroyed by syringing with the following mixture :— 
2 ozs. soda, 4 czs. softsoap, 2 ozs. petroleum oil, and twelve gallons of 
water thoroughly mixed, and used at a temperature of 100°. It is a good 
practice to use this mixture just before the flowers unfold, even if there 
are no signs of insects, for it often happens that there are invisible germs 
of insect life lurking about the plants, which only requires the more 
confined conditions of the conservatory to bring them into activity 
when it is too late to grapple with it. Many promising Chrysanthemums 
have come to an untimely end through not taking this simple precaution 
before housing them.—J. H. W. 
CULTURE OF THE PEACH AND NECTARINE 
ON OPEN WALLS. 
[A paper read liy Mr. Robert Smith, of Yalding, Kent, at the meeting of the British 
Bruit Growers’ Association, Brighton, September llth, 189 1 .] 
Haying been a successful cultivator of these grand old fruits 
on open walls for the past twelve years, I propose to speak first of 
the Peach. The Peach is generally considered to be of Persian 
origin, and is supposed to have been carried into Egypt during the 
reign of Cambyses, then into Greece, and after a lapse of time into 
Italy, where it only became known about seven years before the 
Christian era. The native country of the Peach is, however, still a 
doubtful point, and as such I may pass it over. It is extensively 
grown, with frequently but limited space of cultivation, between 
latitudes 30° and 40° in Asia, Europe, and America. Under particu¬ 
larly favourable circumstances it will succeed considerably beyond 
these limits, but as its deciduous nature requires a period of rest it 
is not fitted for a tropical climate. On the other hand, beyond 
latitude 48° the ground is too cold for its roots, and it will not long 
continue to thrive unless budded on some hardier species. The 
Peach also requires the shelter of a brick wall in this country and 
other protection. 
If the summer is hot enough to ripen the wood it will stand a 
severe winter uninjured in localities where the mean temperature 
of February is 40°, and that of March 44°. The Peach tree will be 
in full flower against a south wall the last week in March, but 
often earlier on warm—that is, dry soils ; and if the mean tempera 
ture of April is 49°, that of May 55°, June 61°, July 64°, and 
August 03° the season may be considered a favourable one. The 
early Peaches will begin to ripen about the middle of July, or a 
little earlier or later according to the season, whether early or late ; 
and if the trees have been well cared for the fruit will acquire a 
high degree of perfection. 
Our south walls at Kenward are rather extensive, and are 
14 inches thick and 10 feet high, are well built, and have an 11-inch 
board at the top, resting on iron brackets ; these boards are easily 
removed, and are taken down every year about the end of May, 
and put up again about the end of October. These are the only 
protection the wall trees get during the spring months while the 
trees are in bloom, and afford sufficient protection in our case 
against spring frost, and have done so for the past twelve years. 
We have not failed to get good crops of the Peach and Nectarine 
every year of the twelve years mentioned. 
In planting a young tree I have about fifteen tiles similar to 
those used on buildings, placed at the bottom of the hole where the 
tree is to be planted, and upon these tiles the tree is placed for 
planting, and then the hole filled up with good maiden loam cut 
twelve months previously, the soil well trodden in and made firm. 
A good mulch of decomposed manure is placed over the top, and then 
well watered. I prefer the first week in November for planting if the 
weather is suitable. The shoots of the tree planted should not be 
fastened to the wall for some time, but in case of high winds the 
top part of the shoots might be fastened to the wall. But if no 
danger from winds is apprehended I much prefer the tree left un¬ 
fastened in any way. In the spring following the planting of the 
tree the shoots should be nailed to the wall their full length (not 
cut back as in the olden time) ; when growth commences in April, 
take care the new shoots are kept free from insects, upon this being 
done the future health of the tree depends, and I have no hesita¬ 
tion in saying that many cultivators fail here. Continue to keep 
the growth of the tree healthy, and towards the middle of April— 
assuming the newly planted tree is in good health—disbudding 
might commence by taking the foreright shoots away, and a few 
from the top part of the shoots. The cultivator should endeavour to 
have the shoots from the base of the shoots nailed in in the spring 
to fill up the spaces —the wood for the future use. These spring 
shoots to be retained for the building up, as it were, of the tree 
might be kept fastened from time to time to the wall, otherwise 
high winds are apt to bruise or break off the tops, and sometimes 
disfigure the tree entirely. Encourage a good growth by all means 
possible, but it must not be over-vigorous. No liquid manure 
should be applied the first year. If the tree is healthy it wdll make 
sufficiently strong growth. Medium growth is the best for fruiting 
—this I have proved in trees of all ages to be the best. 
Having shown the planting and after-management of the young 
tree, I propose to deal with older trees, trees of bearing size. The 
same difficulty occurs in spring with the spring shoots ; if these 
are not kept clean and free from insects the future well-being of 
the tree or trees is impaired, and so much depends on manage¬ 
ment that I cannot too strongly enforce this upon the notice of 
young cultivators who may have other pressing work to do at the 
same time, not to neglect the Peach trees on open walls, for in a 
day or two if left unattended insects might cause much injury to 
the young shoots. 
I remove more fruits at the first thinning than many cultivators, 
in fact I thin early in May, and leave only the number required for 
a crop. Select the shoots for laying in during the month of 
July for the future crops of fruit. Many cultivators lay in too 
many shoots, which is quite a mistake, and yet many do it yearly,. 
So much depends on this operation, that I propose to explain a 
little here. Take only the best placed shoots, and only the medium 
sized ones, leave space of G inches between each shoot, or nearly so ; 
this space may appear to many too much, and particularly wdien 
the cultivator has plenty of good wood to lay in he is often tempted 
to lay in too much, this is where the mistake is made ; G inches of 
space will not be too much for the well-being of the wood or shoots.. 
These shoots must be well ripened before winter, and the G-inch 
space between each shoot helps very much to ripen these shoots ; 
the sun and air can reach the surface of the wall to warm the 
bricks. Every shoot laid in ought to be required for the next crop. 
My opinion is that much of my success in the cultivation of the 
Peach and the Nectarine has been through having the wood well 
ripened. 
A few words may now be said about the fruit—that is, the crop 
that ought to be taken. I find one fruit to every foot of surface 
of wall to be the right guide, a few more or a few less according 
to the vigour of the trees. If the trees have been kept clean and 
free from insects the early Peaches will begin to ripen about the 
second week of July. I find Waterloo to be an early one, and it 
does well with us, also Alexander, and then Early York ; then comes 
Hale’s Early, which is an excellent Peach for open walls ; then I 
have the latter variety upon a west wall, to come in after the one- 
on the south wall, otherwise I had a break between Hale’s Early 
and Royal George ; then Bellegarde and Dr. Hogg ; and next 
comes that highly flavoured Peach, Noblesse ; then follow the later 
varieties, such as Barrington, Late Admirable, and Princess of 
Wales. We keep up a supply of Peaches daily from July to October. 
This, of course, can only be done by having a good run length of 
wall, we have about 200 yards run of south wall at Kenward. If 
an amateur wishes to grow a few Peaches I should recommend 
him Waterloo for early, Hale’s Early for succession, and Noblesse 
for midseason variety, and Princess of Wales for a late crop. 
Nectarines—Lord Napier as early, Rivers’ Advance, Elruge, and for 
a late one, say Pitmaston or Pine Apple. 
When the fruit of the Peach and Nectarine begins to ripen the 
leaves that shade the fruit should be fastened away, so as to expose 
the fruit to sun and air, or part of the leaves might be pinched off. 
It is good practice to begin early at this work, before the final 
swelling of the fruit takes place. I find fruit that has been exposed 
all through the season are much higher colour, and stand the rough 
weather better than those fruits not so exposed. Colour is very 
desirable in Peaches and Nectarines. 
