168 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 9, 1836. 
| marks 
taking 
are intended, to remove the plant to its destination, 
great care to remove it with every possible fibre. 
another 
year; 
There are those who would advise its remaining until 
but, however this may be with nursery¬ 
men and large gardeners, I consider 
that the amateur may fairly chalk 
out a course for himself. The young 
tree is now called a “ maiden ” by 
our nurserymen, a phrase used for 
a century or more to express an un¬ 
trained plant. Below the branchy 
portion, or below b b, will generally 
exist about four or five buds or eyes, 
and these will become, under good 
management, as many shoots in 
the succeeding summer. Practical 
gardeners are generally satisfied with 
four shoots, two on each side; but 
if there be three it will suffice, only, 
in that case, I advise that there be 
encouraged a central one. At the 
end of this summer the young 
Peach or Nectarine will be like the 
annexed sketch. 
The letters c c, &c., denote, as 
before, the point for the pruner’s 
knife. Under proper attention the 
tree will, in the ensuing summer, be 
what is termed full of wood, or, in 
ot her words, the whole of the shoots 
should be produced which are to 
constitute the future fabric of the 
tree. Henceforth the tree may 
undergo the regular routine of 
Peach-tree management, viz., thin¬ 
ning out superfluous summer shoots, 
duly training the principal, and, 
above all, keeping down every kind 
of insect. In the autumn the tree 
will be a perfect fan, or nearly so, 
than which there is no better mode 
of training under good management. 
The following sketch may be taken 
as the probable character of the tree 
at this period :— 
I 
The letters d, which might have been affixed to every 
part where the pruning point is indicated, show how 
| the primer may fairly apply his knife at the close of this 
! year. To give further sketches is needless. 
I may now conclude with a few general remarks, 
chiefly of a cautionary character, for, as a Jack Tar 
would say, there are breakers ahead. In the first place, 
through the various stages from the stock onwards! 
keep down insects. Without this there can be no good 
Peach culture. In the second place, take care of the 
root; see that, whether as a stock or a Peach-tree, it is in 
good, sound soil, loamy in character if possible, con¬ 
taining less or more of “ maiden soil." At every re¬ 
moval shorten every root, if it be only an inch or two, 
in order that fibres may be multiplied. Let everything 
like a “ tap” or descending root be cut awav or turned 
