1875.] THE PREMATURE DROPPING OF PEACH AND NECTARINE BLOSSOMS. 75 
of the soil, and to the proper formation of the border, and when the general 
management has been good, the blossoms of Peaches and Nectarines are not 
liable to drop prematurely, after the trees get into a bearing state, until the soil 
i becomes partially exhausted. When this occurs, artificial manures should be 
applied in a liquid state, in order to enable the trees to thoroughly swell and 
mature heavy crops of fruit, as well as to form and properly develop and mature 
the flower-buds for the following season. 
Imperfectly ripened wood has much to do with the premature dropping of 
the flowers. This is brought about by numerous causes, such as imperfectly 
drained and consequently cold borders, the insufficient application of heat in the 
autumn, &c. Young trees for a few years after being planted in fresh soil, in 
consequence of their excessive vigour, require much attention in regulating and 
moderating their growth by judicious pinching, and should get sufficient heat to 
thoroughly ripen the young wood in the autumn. Inattention to this is the 
reason why flower-buds are so often weakly and small in size on the most robust 
and healthy young trees, and so often drop without setting their fruit. 
Another frequent cause of this evil is allowing the trees during the summer 
or autumn to get too dry at the roots, or to be surrounded by too dry an atmo¬ 
sphere ; in the latter case, the red-spider is sure to commence operations on the 
foliage, which they will soon destroy unless eradicated by the free use of sulphur 
and the syringe ; while liberal waterings at the roots must also be given. I 
believe dryness at the roots has more to do with generating red-spider than all 
the other causes put together ; for unless the foliage is preserved in full health till it 
ripens and falls naturally the flower-buds must be imperfectly matured, and con¬ 
sequently liable to drop without performing their proper functions. 
Over-cropping, even where the vigour of the tree is very great, is one of the 
rocks ahead which amateurs not unfrequently come in contact with. One year 
may be marked by the appearance of an extraordinary crop, which they will not 
thin sufficiently ; the prospects are wonderful about the time they are half-grown 
—friends are invited to come and see them, and great results freely talked about; 
but as they approach maturity less is said about them, as they prove to be alike 
deficient in size and flavour. The next year the crop is a failure, or nearly so, 
and dissatisfaction and disappointment follow. The remedy is simple : be con¬ 
tent with moderate crops. 
Bad or exhausted soil is another cause of the flowers falling prematurely. The 
Peach and Nectarine will doubtless thrive in a variety of soils. They often do very 
well in a light loam, a medium, or even a heavy loam, preferring a medium loam. 
However good the soil may originally have been, in course of time it becomes so 
far exhausted, that there is no possibility of producing first-class fruit without 
renewing or partly renewing the border. Artificial manures doubtless tend to 
prolong the period over which a border will last, and when judiciously applied 
assist largely in increasing the quantity of fruit a tree will mature. When the 
soil and subsoil are particularly favourable for the growth of Peach and Nectarine 
h 2 
