274 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
December, 
same dwarfish, sturdy, well-furnished habit of growth as D. Bausei, the upright 
stocky stems being furnished with oblong-ovate petiolate leaves, averaging some 
18in. in length, and from Gin. to 9 in. in breadth. The variegation is very 
striking, the ground-colour being a deep green, thickly marked or mottled over 
the whole surface with smallish intermingled irregular blotches of greenish-yellow 
and white, producing a most beautiful variegation. It is quite an acquisition 
amongst stove evergreen variegated plants.—T. Moore. 
THE CULTURE OF WALL-FRUITS. 
Chapter V. —The Peach and Nectarine ( Continued ). 
^OMPOSTS.—In the formation of a Compost for Peaches and Nectarines, it 
is better to aim at one which is sufficiently strong to retain a considerable 
amount of moisture, without being so unduly stiff as to prevent the water 
from percolating freely through it. For although composts of a hot, dry, 
and porous nature will very often contribute at first to the production of very 
fruitful wood, hard and well-ripened ; yet the process is a very exhaustive one, 
and the trees cannot be kept in anything like a free-growing and healthy condi¬ 
tion, unless they have copious supplies of water during the growing season, and 
even then they are usually short-lived. Without therefore making it so stiff as 
to hold water in suspension, the operator will find that a comparatively strong 
compost, whilst involving a considerably less amount of trouble than lighter and 
more porous ones, will conduce more to the permanent well-doing of the trees, 
and at the same time afford a better means of bringing them under discipline, 
because they will possess a more certain power of reproduction under that dis¬ 
cipline, owing to the greater strength of the compost. 
I recommend therefore that the staple of the compost shall consist of four 
parts out of six of a sound and rather strong loam, not sandy, as sandy soils are 
apt to be poor, and we have to avoid the necessity for using stimulating materials 
in the early stages of growth ; it should, however, be tough and full of fibre. 
The first six inches of a deep loam on a dry bottom, such as may often be found 
at the foot of steep declivities of pasture-lands, where it has probably accumulated 
through many centuries, from the continued washings of the sides of the hills by 
heavy rains, which have carried down worm-casts and other debris for the grass at 
the bottom to retain in position, and thus gradually to add to the depth of the 
staple. This forms the best of all loams, if the situation is such that no water 
can stagnate about it. Such a loam will be found very suitable for our present 
purpose, and it should be carted to some convenient place a year before being 
used, and during that period frequently turned over, for the benefit of exposing 
it freely to the sun and air is very great. During these manipulations, the other 
two parts, consisting of burnt clay, charcoal, old mortar, rubbish, if attainable, 
and broken bones, may be added, together with an occasional sprinkling of salt, 
which will help to destroy noxious vermin, and be of material and lasting benefit 
to the trees. All stone fruits are greatly benefited by a slight admixture of salt 
