July 25, 1889. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
59 
I T is a very common method of culture to throw open the ven¬ 
tilators of the structure in which Peach trees are grown, water 
the border occasionally, and in other respects to leave the trees 
practically to themselves until the foliage ripens off naturally ; or, 
prematurely, if the trees are infested with insects. Success may 
be the result, and undoubtedly is in many instances, but a crop of 
■good fruit under such circumstances is due to chance rather than 
good management. 
It is important that the trees be examined critically after the 
crop has been gathered, for they may represent three distinct con¬ 
ditions of growth at the very least. There may be shoots too 
robust to retain their flower buds ; others may he in the very 
•opposite condition, too weak with almost colourless foliage, ex¬ 
hausted by the strain of fruit-bearing, and perhaps not the best of 
treatment; while others will be in an intermediate state, having 
produced wood of the best quality for yielding with certainty 
and good management a crop of fruit next year. It will be seen 
that trees under such differing conditions of growth must not be 
subjected to the same treatment, or failure in two out of the 
three cases will follow. It is too late when the foliage falls to 
check those that are too luxuriant for insuring the retention of the 
buds when the trees are started into growth. It is also too late to 
recruit those that are thoroughly exhausted. They, unlike the 
■others, will again bear a heavy crop of fruit, but it will be liable to 
fall before it is ripe, or if carried until it reaches that stage it will 
be hard and flavourless, proving of third-rate quality only. This, 
by good and timely treatment, may be overcome, the vigour of the 
trees increased, and the quality of the fruit raised to a much higher 
standard of excellence. 
In first and second houses the whole of the old bearing wood and 
all growths not required for furnishing the trees another year should 
be atonce removed. The foliage of vigorous trees being very large the 
growths should be severely thinned, so that every ray of light and 
air can reach the wood to ripen it. This is important, and if it 
cannot be accomplished by natural means artificial heat must be 
resorted to. So far we have had a fine season, but trees with 
strong wood are still far from ripe. During spells of damp 
weather the pipes must be made warm, having abundance of air on 
at the same time and a somewhat dry atmosphere maintained. The 
syringe should be withheld and no more water given than is 
necessary for preventing growth being brought to a standstill by 
dryness at their roots. Until vigorous growth has been checked 
do not shorten any shoots that have extended too far, or in a few 
days fresh growths will push from nearly every eye. In trees of 
feeble health there will be no long shoots to shorten, while in those 
that have made moderate growth any that need shortening may be 
done during the thinning process. 
After the old bearing wood has been removed and the remain¬ 
ing shoots evenly disposed over the trellis the trees should be 
cleared of insects if any are established upon them. The strong 
trees are almost certain to be clean, but this may not be the case 
with those in the other conditions of growth. For red spider the 
trees should be thoroughly syringed with a mixture of sulphur and 
water—a 3-inch flowerpotful of the former to every four gallons 
of water that may be needed. If this is left on for three or four 
bright days it will destroy the spider as well as any mildew that 
Ho. 471.— Vol. XIX., Third Series. 
may infest the trees. Scale is perhaps the most troublesome 
insect to deal with effectually ; but this may be eradicated by two 
or three applications, at intervals of a few weeks, of petroleum and 
softsoap. Three ounces of petroleum may be used in four gallons 
of water, with half an ounce of softsoap and a piece of washing 
soda the size of a Cob nut. The oil must be well broken up by the 
method so frequently described, and before syringing the trees 
tiffany should be spread over the roof to break the full force of the 
sun until the oil has evaporated. 
To return to the trees of strong growth, if the whole or nearly 
the whole of the flower buds do not fall, but expand, and to all 
appearance set well, the growth will take the lead and the fruits 
fail to swell. One evil is as bad as the other, but perhaps the last 
is the more disappointing. Trees that are well cared for and only 
moderately cropped are liable to over-luxuriance, much more so if 
the soil in which they are growing is of a light instead of inclining 
to a heavy nature. A trench should be cut at once round such 
trees, and some, but not too many, of the most active roots re¬ 
moved. All that is needed now is to check them so that the trees 
will not make soft growth, yet retain their foliage so that the buds 
can be plumped and the wood as well ripened as possible. If the 
trees are too severely root-pruned the leaves will flag, and perhaps 
many may fall, with the result that the buds will remain stationary, 
and the wood ripen prematurely. The work should be so done 
that recourse to the syringe is not needed for keeping the leaves 
fresh. The soil may be returned to the trees without any addition, 
but if the border is light one or two barrowfuls of dried and 
powdered clay may be given to each tree according to its size. 
The trees can then be lifted, and it may not be necessary to cut 
away many roots, the mere lifting in most cases will prove ample. 
The soil should be worked well from amongst the roots and the- 
powdered clay incorporated with it as it is returned. Strong trees 
subjected to this treatment will bear next year and swell the 
fruit to a good size, and in addition make stout but sturdy wood 
that will be certain to retain its buds and set a good crop the 
following season, other treatment being right. 
Exhausted trees require the very opposite treatment. A trench 
should be cut round sufficiently far not to injure one of the roots, 
working soil amongst them until a number of fibrous roots are laid 
bare. These should be laid in fresh compost, consisting of rich 
turfy loam, chopped ; if inclined to be light add powdered clay and 
a little quick-acting chemical manure, a sprinkling of which may 
also be dusted on the surface, the border well mulched with mode¬ 
rately fresh manure. If trees in this condition are freely syringed 
and judiciously watered the most valuable ingredients of the 
manure will be washed down to their roots, which will increase 
materially by autumn. Next season a marked change will be 
perceptible in the growth, and an equally satisfactory change in 
the size and quality of the fruit. When the soil is heavy and trees 
become exhausted in it the addition of loam of a lighter nature, a 
little gritty material, or old lime rubbish will prove of much 
advantage. 
Trees in an exhausted condition that have not been lifted periodi¬ 
cally are better partially lifted at the present time, and left to make 
a season’s growth before they are dug up entirely. In the mean¬ 
time they will make quantities of healthy fibrous roots, bear a crop 
of fruit, and be in the best possible condition for replanting next 
autumn. 
Trees of moderate growth with plump buds and healthy foliage 
need no special treatment. The old bearing wood removed, the 
foliage kept clean, the border mulched and watered from time to 
time, and the ventilators of the house left wide open day and night 
they will be in the best condition another year ; but if the other 
examples cited were treated in the same manner failure with them 
would be inevitable. 
As a rule, though there are many exceptions, there is too 
little pruning or thinning of Peach trees in summer and too much 
No. 2130. —Yol. LXXXI., Old Series. 
