February 4, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
79 
lengths, and two young shoots being eventually reserved and laid 
in from each, handsome and fruitful trees would probably be pre¬ 
pared for the year 1893. 
This may seem too good to be true; but there are, in the 
gardens under my charge, nearly a dozen quite young trees, 
which were planted as maidens two years ago, that are now well 
furnished with good bearing wood. A crop will be taken from 
them, partly to test the varieties, but principally to prevent these 
growing too rankly, cropping young trees in this case answering 
our purpose better than having to be constantly root-pruning. A 
tree of Waterloo, planted as a maiden three years ago, now 
occupies a wall space 8 feet by 9 feet, and is beautifnlly furnished 
with bearing wood. 
It is my belief that Peach trees are often kept too dry at the 
roots, this being the cause of so much weakly growth being formed, 
the trees rapidly degenerating accordingly. In spite of the heavy 
rainfall and a thick mulching of manure, our trees did not grow 
too strongly, and, as before stated, they never presented a more 
promising appearance. When trees grow much too rankly to be 
fruitful this is largely due to their being planted in a rich border, 
deep root action also contributing to much the same result. If 
the young trees are planted in a compost consisting of turfy loam, 
to which old mortar rubbish and burnt errth and wood ashes are 
freely added, being also kept uniformly moist at the roots, there 
is not much likelihood of their forming other than firm, fruitful 
wood. Solid manures are undesirable, unless for the purpose of 
mulching trees in full tearing. 
The cultivator who means succeeding with Peaches must not 
rest contented with having planted the trees properly, as it will be 
found that the most successful growers attach, and rightly so, very 
much importance to the necessity for keeping the roots well up to 
the surface of the border. Completely undermining strong young 
trees, so as to cleanly cut through all deeply running roots, is a 
good preventive of an injuriously deep root action, but is not 
enough. When the trees are in full bearing it is advisable to 
undermine and cut through deep running roots on one aide of the 
tree in one season, and to treat the other half similarly in the 
following autumn or winter. This also gives a good opportunity 
of working in a little fresh loam, with a sprinkling of lime and 
wood ashes added ; and if the trench is opened from 4 feet to 
5 feet from the bole of the tree, no risks of overdoing these 
remedial measures will be run. Some of the roots disturbed are 
bound to be broken, but if they are cut across cleanly beyond the 
broken parts, the wounds will heal quickly, and the pruning be the 
means of promoting the formation of many more fibres. Those 
long naked roots are of little service, the most profitable trees 
being invariably found to have abundance of root fibres near 
the surface of the border, and not far from their stems. In the 
autumn, or a short time before the leaves change colour and drop, 
is perhaps the best time to either transplant or root-prune Peach 
trees, but there is no good reason why it should not be done any 
time before flowering or top growth commen"es. Last spring we 
moved two young trees in full flower, and the operation was both 
successful and beneficial. The least that can be done to strong or 
rather large old trees is to bare the roots nearest the surface, and 
either give a good top-dressing of fresh loam and good manure 
or a mulching of the latter only, in which case the old soil must be 
returned to the top of it, the better to keep it in a moist steadily 
decaying state. Mulchings thus treated answer the double purpose 
of attracting and feeding the roots, as well as conserving the 
moisture in the border. 
It will have been noticed, probably, that I have only alluded 
incidentally to Nectarines, my reason for this being the comparative 
uncertainty of this fruit in the open air. Lord Napier would 
appear to be the only variety that can be depended upon to ripen 
properly, and even this scars and cracks badly in many localities. 
Other varieties are more fickle, the fruit in the majority of cases 
cracking or shrivelling badly, only ripening fairly well in the most 
favourable seasons. Much of this is due to the smoothness of their 
skins, the downy Peach not being nearly so susceptible of injury 
from too much moisture. At the same time those who have plenty 
of suitable wall space may well give some of the best Nectarines a 
trial. There are few or no varieties of Peaches that fail to do well 
in the open, those of American origin being among the best that can 
De planted.—W. Iggulden, Somerset. 
PEACOCK IRISES. 
ViEUSSEDXiA, though not a large genus, includes among the nine 
or ten known species several of great beauty. Their attractions 
chiefly consist in the brilliancy of the tints distinguishing the neatly 
formed flowers, and though these are of moderate size, and, like most of 
their allies, somewhat transient, they deserve to rank amongst the most 
beautiful. By old writers most of the plants now included in this genus 
were considered as Irises. Some have also been referred to the genus 
Mortea, but they were separated by Decandolle and ranked as a genus ; 
and concerning this it is only to be regretted that he had not chosen a 
more euphonious name, and there is certainly some excuse if the advo¬ 
cates of English plant names prefer the simple but expressive popular 
designation " Peacock Irises.” The principal botanical characters which 
separate the Vieusseuxias from the Irises and Morseas are the monadel- 
phous stamens and the relatively small inner segments of the perianth. 
The latter gives a distinct appearance to the flowers, as they only seem 
to have three ovate petals, the other divisions in most cases being very 
diminutive. 
The cultural requirements of these plants are not elaborate. Like the 
Morseas, they can be grown either in pots or out of doors in a warm, 
well-drained border ; but in the majority of situations the former method 
will be found the most advantageous. Light sandy soil, with good drain¬ 
age and abundant supplies of water while the plants are growing, are 
the chief points demanding attention. 
Vieusseuxia glaucopis .—The woodcut (fig. 12) represents one of the 
best known and most abundant species—namely, the common Peacock 
Iris, a variable but beautiful form first introduced from the Cape of 
Good Hope about a hundred years ago. It usually attains the height of 
18 inches, producing its flowers in spring—April or May. The larger 
ovate or rounded segments of the perianth are pure white, having near 
the base in the centre a circular spot of rich deep blue, the resulting con¬ 
trast being most striking. This form is more generally planted out than 
most of the others ; but unless the soil is naturally light and thoroughly 
drained it is necessary to prepare a position. A compost of peat, leaf 
soil, and sand is suitable, or if very light turfy loam is obtainable it may 
be substituted for the peat. 
V. pmonia .—A pretty species, but less attractive than V. glaucopis. 
It is the Peacock Iris of Linnaeus, and one of the oldest known in this 
country, having appeared about the same time as the preceding. The 
perianth divisions are rounded, and of a deep orange hue, with a darker 
crescent near the base and a bright rose central blotch. It is a native 
of the Cape, and flowers in May and June. 
V. tripctalohles .—A rare species both in its native habitat and in 
cultivation, but distinct in form, though less showy than some of its 
relatives. The lower portion or claw of the floral segments is very 
narrow, the blade or expanded portion being eval in outline, and pale 
blue with a yellow blotch at the base. The nar.ow claw gives ti e flower 
