CANKER IN NECTARINE TREES. 
15 
in the wounds, so that they never heal so well as spring pruning. 
A peach border with a dry bottom, and properly prepared, with 
good turfy soil will never canker trees, disease is brought on more 
by bad treatment, than any other way. I have seen borders prepared 
with heavy adhesion soil, such as cleanings of*ponds, &c. which had 
never been turned at intervals and exposed to the effects of frost, the 
effect was, the peach Trees were much infested with mildew, and 
other maladies. 
For fruitfulness and health much depends on a proper selection of 
wood, shoots that push out from old wood of three or four years old 
is seldom fruitful, and if much wood of this kind be retained in a 
tree, the fruitful branches will be injured, by the luxuriancy of the 
others, and in some cases literally starved to death. The most fruit¬ 
ful wood is that from the last year’s growth, and it is always necessary 
to select such for leading ones as are stronger than the subordinate 
ones. 
There are several kinds of wood in Peach trees, namely false wood 
from branches of three or four years old,—the second is that of a 
subordinate branch where it grows very succulent, and stronger than 
the leading branch,—the third is a spur pushing out wood,—the 
fourth is a spur,—the fifth is a shoot that has not been properly 
nourished, and the blossom buds are not perfect,—and the sixth sort 
is the leading branches of different years’ growth, whence all these 
other woods issue, and through which they receive their nourishment. 
I have long thought great improvement might be made both to the 
health and duration of Peach trees, were Nurserymen to desire gar¬ 
deners to save all the peach stones, and sow them for stocks, on which 
to work peaches and nectarines, I believe they would be found to an¬ 
swer better than plum stocks, being more porous, and by working 
them on their own natural stocks, the bole and upper part of the 
stock would swell in equal thickness. I have often looked with dis¬ 
gust on trained standard peach trees, the upper part of the tree is 
double the thickness of the lower or plum stock, and whenever I see 
them it brings to my mind, poor fellows who, by misfortunes, are 
obliged to walk with wooden legs. 
Nurserymen may probably condemn me for saying the root of the 
plum is more tenacious than seedling peaches—I can state from ob¬ 
servation, having had two peach trees under my management that 
were worked on natural stocks, when they were twenty years old, 
they were as vigorous and healthy, as any trees I ever saw. 
P. S. I have a great number of Vines coiled in pots for the ensu¬ 
ing season, I will report my success through the Register. 
