THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
! June 1. 
REACHES AND NECTARINES IN JUNE. 
An all-important month to these fruits is this; for, 
j according to my ideas of successful culture, the whole 
i growth really necessary for the ensuing year should be 
| complete, as to extension, by or before Midsummer. In 
1 order to accomplish this, the trees must have been kept 
I free from insects, must have been kept in good root 
order, and should have received as much protection in 
the foliage as would prevent those strange vicissitudes, 
which so frequently occur in April, from injuring the 
foliage. I find, by reports, that much damage has accrued 
to this crop, in some parts, from the unusual April frosts 
we experienced ; and from a remark in a contemporary 
gardening paper of some standing, that they have suffered 
much where not protected, I suppose wo may infer that 
protection to the blossom is at last recognised. I have 
a capital crop, and the wood looking quite as well 
as ever I knew it; they were uncovered on the 10th of i 
May. 
Let me advise those who have neglected their trees to 
take them in band immediately. Insects must first be 
destroyed—better late than never. I need scarcely urge 
the importance of tobacco-water as to the Aphides, and 
of sulphur as to the Red Spider. Some persons use 
tobacco-smokc under a close covering of some kind, but 
this is not so good practice as the liquid ; it is difficult 
to confine. As to sulphur, it may be either applied by a 
powder-puff or by hand; the latter I prefer. It is 
necessary, however, to choose a very quiet state of atmos¬ 
phere for its application, or one-half will be lost; the 
air should be quiet aud rather dry, and the sulphur 
! should have been kept dry for the purpose, in order to 
render it subtle. 
Disbudding, if neglected, must at once be attended to, 
aud an awkward office it is when the trees have been 
neglected until June, especially if they are growing 
strong. However, there is no time for ceremonies, off 
the shoot must come, or the tree will be seriously injured 
for a year or two to come. 
Thinning the fruit is the next important consideration ; 
that is to say, if your trees have been fortunate. No 
tree suffers more from an unwarrantable amount of fruit 
than the Peach or Nectarine; the former especially. I 
have known many trees irreparably injured, aud have, 
indeed, injured several myself in my day by being too 
greedy, especially if- the tree was not well-established in 
its situation. 
Strangers to Peach-culture would here very naturally 
ask, bow far the fruit should be left apart; and it is not 
easy to convey a definite idea, so much depends on the 
character of the tree as to its real powers. On one tree 
the fruit may be left at from four to six inches; on 
another, they should not be nearer than nine : this, 
j however, has reference to the final thinning. But this 
t must be done cautiously. In the first thinning, which 
j generally takes place towards the end of April, or when | 
j the fruits are large as horse-beans, they may just be 
j prevented touching. In a week, they may have a second 
thinning, still proceding cautiously; and by the time 
“stoning” commences, they may stand, on an average, 
at about two to three inches. 
Under all circumstances, many drop during the stoning 
process; for the fact is, that with these fruits impregna¬ 
tion is absolutely essential to their well-being; and the 
formation of the vital powers of the seed constitutes a 
j crisis in the life of the young fruit. One thing may be 
j noticed here ; no fruit may be permitted to remain on 
! shoots which do not possess some foliage, beyond the 
j fruits to attract the sap. The tree will frequently appear ' 
j to set its fruit best in such quarters, aud to swell them j 
most freely, but it is all deception, down they go when ; 
! the hour of trial arrives. Indeed, there should be a 
i freely-growing shoot or shoots beyond the fruits; if there 1 
153 i 
be not, only tufts of foliage, the odds are that such shoots I 
become barren, or die away in the succeeding year. 
I have frequently recommended mulching, or top- I 
dressing, to these trees, if in proper soil, and I must here 1 
repeat such advice. As to those on stagnant soils, why, t 
it is almost immaterial whether we mulch or no; they 
will do badly anyhow. I have trees here which would 
convince the most sceptical as to the value of mulching, 
or top-dressing. The whole surface is a network of 
fibres, and, it may be readily supposed, that this it is 
which, by rendering fruit-trees so susceptible to atmos¬ 
pheric action, brings them at any time under easy 
control, as to bearing properties; for to neglect an 
annual or biennial application of a slight dressing, 
after this condition is once induced, is to force the whole 
tree into a blossoming condition; whilst to give an 
application of the kind is to rouse the active, or growiug 
principle; need I observe, that in a due counterbalance 
of these consists the real welfare of fruit-trees. 
Now, it is not to be supposed that this top-dressing is 
an expensive procedure; little manure is requisite. Any 
half-rotten vegetable substance, which will necessarily 
become a kind of humus before a year has passed, will 
suffice. As I am situated in the midst of a well-wooded 
park, I use tree leaves, and these have, in general, had 
a very little manure mixed with them, having been 
used as linings to dung-beds. But, had i some suburban 
garden to manage, I would save all my weeds and the 
shrubbery rakings for the purpose; these mixed, and 
highly-fermented, by the addition of a little rank manure 
fresh from the stable-door, in order to destroy weeds, 
would prove a very eligible material. Indeed, anything 
which has once been a living vegetable will answer 
this purpose. 
So much for the manurial expenses; and as to labour, 
since two or three barrowfuls will suffice for any ordinary¬ 
sized wall-tree, why the labour matter cannot bo heavy. 
Besides, what are more expensive things than mis¬ 
managed or neglected wall-trees, to say nothing of other 
fruits? Let any one look fairly at the cost of a wall in 
building—a wall to be something more than a mere 
boundary—and say if it is not obvious that no reason¬ 
able pains should be spared to make every brick yield 
its fruit, if possible; both profit and convenience 
demand it. 
Mulching, too, affords a capital opportunity for ad¬ 
ministering water to the roots, which, applied on the 
naked or baked soil, does little good. 
As to watering, I hold it essential to the production 
of superior fruits that liberal waterings be applied, 
especially in June and July ; aud for this purpose, once 
in each month a good saturation is far beyond any 
dribbling mode. This may be considered a trouble or 
expense by some; but if it be, it is by far superior to the 
expense incurred by drainage where stagnation exists; 
and, moreover, involves more chances of success. If 
the trees are overborne, guano, or dunghill-water, should 
be applied. 
The stopping or pinching of robbers, or gross shoots, 
should bo commenced in the end of May or beginning 
of June, aud may bo persisted in through the season 
with all trees in a bearing state; the chief exception 
being young trees or bending shoots required to cover 
walks for fences as speedily as may be. 
Young trees may be allowed to ramble a good deal, 
after once pinching a few of the ramblers in the early 
part of June, but this pinching should be resumed in 
the middle of August, if they continue to grow very 
strong. 
It was a practice, in my apprentice days, to ply the 
engine or syringe every afternoon ; it was considered 
indispensable. I have not used an engine for years; 
and yet have had enough of success to attract the notice 
of good judges. I do not, however, entirely repudiate its 
