71 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
I hope the proposed Apiarian Society may soon become 
j a reality, and if so, I shall be happy to become a member.— 
Robert Wilson, Stewarton. 
[A few correspondents have declared their wish to become 
members of the proposed “ British Apiarian Society.” So 
J soon as we receive a few more a meeting shall be held and 
a prospectus issued.— Ed. C. G.] 
THE PEACH TREE. 
ITS BUDS. 
Eyes or Buds .—These are envelopes containing the rudi¬ 
ments of shoots, leaves, flowers, and fruit. They are conical, 
and covered with little imbricated scales, more or less coria¬ 
ceous, and which are merely abortive leaves dried by the air, 
so as to protect the tender parts which they inclose from the 
severities of the winter. They continue in this state as long 
as the flow of sap is arrested by the cold, and they com¬ 
mence growing when the weather becomes sufficiently warm 
to put the sap in motion. 
If the eye does not receive proper nourishment it may re¬ 
main a long time inactive. It is then called a latent bud 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, May 5, 1857. 
i (ceil expectant). It is generally roused from this dormant 
state by pruning, performed with the view of calling it into 
action; or naturally, by an increased flow of sap which acts 
as a stimulus to it, otherwise it may become completely 
extinct. 
Buds become either Wood-buds or Fruit-buds, and it is 
important for the operations of pruning to distinguish well I 
these two conditions. I may, however, remark, that with j 
reference to the Peach tree the nature of the bud is never ! 
doubtful to an experienced person. In fact, its form, its 
place, the age of the wood on which it appears, all help to 
show the function which it is destined to perform; but for 
those little acquainted with this tree it is necessary to enter 
more into detail. 
The Wood-bud (Figs. 1, 2, 8, 4, 5, a) is an embryo shoot 
covered with imbricated scales of a reddish brown. Its form 
is usually that of a little cone, more or less pointed; when 
in the axil of a leaf it is always slightly compressed. The 
wood-bud, which is also called at Montreuil ceil do pousse 
(pushing eye), comes on all parts of the Peach tree, upon 
the young as well as upon the older wood; and pruning 
can make it push from very old wood. 
Fruit-bud (Figs. 1, b; 2, c; 8, d; 4, 5, y). —This contains 
the rudiments of the flower. It is also covered with scales ; 
but its form is always rounder than that of the wood-bud. 
Fruit-buds are only found on one-year-old wood. 
There are upon the Peach tree buds which are single, 
double, triple, or more numerous. 
The single bud is in general a wood-bud, from which a, 
shoot proceeds. We, however, see flower-buds by themselves; 
such are those marked b, Fig. 1. 
Most commonly the fruit-brancli that bears them is 
terminated by a wood-bud or growing point, the use of which 
is to draw into this branch the sap necessary for the nourish¬ 
ment of the flowers and fruits; but it may happen that by 
accident or abortion this eye does not exist; yet the loss of 
the fruit may not result. 
Double buds generally consist of a wood-bud and a flower- 
bud. Fig. 2 shows this kind of buds; a, wood-buds; c, 
flower-buds. 
In the triple buds, such as are seen at d, Fig. 3, two are 
flower-buds, the other a wood-bud. There are also triple 
buds which consist of three wood-buds ; but this sort does not 
show itself except on the shoots of young Peach trees, or on 
those that are very vigorous. It is always the middle eye 
that is the strongest. Sometimes those at each side die off. 
I shall state, further on, the procedure adopted in pruning 
them. 
Quadruple buds, although they appear as such, have 
always in the midst of them a pushing eye that is at first 
hardly visible, which leads one to believe that it is absent. ! 
The four prominent ones are all flower-buds; but the wood- 
bud that developes a little later has the same functions as 
the ceil de pousse, or growing point (11), and from its presence 
these ought to be called quintuple. They are rare, and 
always at the end of a little branch or spur (Fig. 4). They 
are sometimes more numerous, and disposed in the same J 
manner with a growing point in the centre (Fig. 5). The 
growing point sometimes perishes without bad consequences 
to the fruit. 
When no accident occurs to the fruit-bud there results the 
opening of the flower, which, after having fulfilled its 
functions, sets a fruit, of which the growth and maturity 
successively take place. 
The wood-bud produces all the woody parts of the tree. 
These, at first herbaceous, undergo several modifications of 
which we must next give some account.—( Horticultural 
Society's Journal.) 
(To be continued*) 
POISONING MICE. 
Take \ oz. powdered nux vomica; half pint common boil¬ 
ing peas ; simmer them, with as much water as will prevent 
their burning, for half an hour, and take them off. When 
any person sows his Peas let him add one-third of the 
poisoned ones to what he intends to sow, and throw them 
together into the same drills. 
