JUNE. 
127 
ON PEACH AND NECTARINE CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 
Although there is nothing new to be said on this subject but what most 
practical men of a few years standing are well acquainted with, still I find 
inquiries are made on the subject by young men and amateurs; and myself 
having from thirty to forty years’ practice at in-door culture, a few practical 
remarks may be of service to the readers of the Florist and Pomologist. 
Although it takes some years of close attention to make handsome, healthy, 
and fruitful trees, what can be more delightful, when these have been obtained, 
than to behold an early Peach-house, or, indeed, any Peach-house, full of trees 
that are clean and free from disease and vermin ?—the very odour is refreshing 
from the time they are in bloom till the fruit is ripe ; and even in the short 
days of winter, to watch the progress of the trees, and attending to their pro¬ 
gressive requirements, to those who are fond of such a pursuit it is very 
interesting indeed. 
I believe that every kind of Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot may be greatly 
improved under glass, as to health, choice well-bearing wood, certainty of 
crop, and long durability of the trees. In the first place it is well known that 
these fruit trees are fond of a border made of good-holding loam, well drained, 
and not sunk much below the natural surface. We use at the bottom of a new 
border a good portion of brick rubble or burnt clay, and, of course, a good 
portion of charcoal or charred refuse, and no dung. To save time, which 
should be aimed at, under glass we select from the out-door walls handsome 
large trees that have previously been well prepared by root-pruning, training, 
&c., taking them up and replanting them, of course, with the greatest care, and, 
if possible, early in autumn. These trees, under glass, will soon throw out into 
the fresh soil, under glass, abundance of white fibres, and grow all winter. 
We then thin the wood well, and carefully dress them all over with a com¬ 
position made of soot, a little hot lime, fresh cowdung, and clay, made to the 
consistency of paint, and applied with a brush make with short ends of bast or 
matting. This will clean the trees if previously infested with insects, or act 
as a preventive, should any intruders be getting about. Tie and train carefully, 
and thin the buds, and in due time a moderate crop may be taken the first 
year. It is not every kind of Peach or Nectarine that can be depended on for 
early forcing, neither is it worth while to attempt early forcing with young or 
recently-planted trees; those that are well established can only be forced early 
with any certainty of a good crop in return. 
To commence forcing these fruits in the short days of winter, in order to 
get a crop of fruit for table in May and June, requires care, caution, attention, 
and strict perseverance to enable the grower to contend against our variable 
atmosphere. The structure should be particularly clean, the trees dressed as 
above, nicely trained, and, if old long-bearing trees, they may require some 
nice fresh turfy loam, and a little well-rotted dung forked in about them every 
year; but we prefer the addition of the loam, with the dung and liquid manure, 
applied after the fruit is stoned. All being made completely clean, and in 
order, care must be taken not to apply much fire or artificial heat, otherwise 
there will soon be a mistake and a failure. Take the advantage of every sun¬ 
shiny morning to syringe the trees all over with chilled or tepid water; 
apply a little heat, warming moderately the pipes or flues; give air freely, and 
shut off the heat again an hour or more, if the sun shines previous to taking 
off the air, in order to command a dry healthy atmosphere. Little artificial 
heat, in this stage, can be applied at night with any safety, as the night atmo¬ 
sphere should never be above 50°, unless the natural or external atmosphere is 
warmer. However, care must be taken, after syringing the trees, to apply 
