- 6 4 THE GARDENING WORLD. 
- Fruit Growing for Amateurs. - 
II.—NECTARINES AND PEACHES. Continued from page vii. 
(Continued). (May 9th). 
More initial labour would be entailed 
in constructing an entirely new border of 
fibrous loam and old mortar rubbish, but 
such a border would prove lasting and 
highly beneficial to the trees. 1 
If the position of the house is on 
slightly raised ground, or the highest 
point of the garden, drains will not be 
needed, but only a base of broken bricks 
or clinkers; but if, however, the position 
is a low one, drains must be put in. 
Form the bottom of the border with a 
gentle slope from the back wall to the 
front where the drain pipes are laid, then 
surplus water will run away freely. To 
prevent the blocking of the drains, put 
down some rubble on them and follow 
with whole turves laid on the rubble, 
grass side down. 
The border of soil for the roots should 
be about 20 inches deep. The turves 
nearest the bottom being in larger pieces 
than those near the surface. See Fig. 6. 
Planting the Trees. 
Procure the best trees in the market, 
they are the cheapest in the end. Fan- 
trained specimens should possess plenty 
of medium-sized shoots, then they will 
bear fruit the following year. The stems 
of those planted against the back wall 
should be about 7 inches from the wall, 
so as to permit the swelling of the stem 
without the latter being pressed unduly 
against the wall. 
Carefully examine the roots before 
planting is done, cutting away any which 
are broken or badly bruised ; and retain 
all fibrous roots. Put in the trees exactly 
the depth that they were wh'en growing 
in the nursery, and carefully work in 
some of the finest part of the compost 
around the roots. 
Whether the back wall be wired, or the 
branches fastened to it with nails, there 
should not be any tying up of shoots until 
the early part of the spring, when the 
roots will have settled down in the soil. 
Premature tying results in the trees being 
hung up, as it were, and then the soil 
settles down away from the roots. 
If fan-trained specimens are planted 
against a front trellis, the same care 
should be taken in the planting and tying 
as in the case of wall trees. But if stan¬ 
dards or bushes are planted in the front 
border, support them with stout, neat 
stakes. After a few years have passed the 
stakes will not be required, as the stems 
will be strong enough for self-support. 
How to Train Very Young Trees. 
If maidens are planted, i.e., one-year- 
old trees, a season is lost, and it is not 
profitable to put in such specimens. But 
very frequently two-year-old trees are 
planted. These possess from three to five 
young shoots several feet in length. The 
unripe ends of the shoots should be cut 
off at planting time, but it is not advis¬ 
able to prune them hard back, as. a too 
luxuriant growth would result. Wait 
untd the buds commence to grow in 
pring and disbud a few from near the 
‘nds of the shoots if basal buds on the 
latter do not grow freely. The disbud¬ 
ding will cause the lower buds to grow 
strongly, and so lay a good foundation for 
a fruitful tree. See Ftg. 7. 
The second year from the planting the 
tree will be forming nicely, and some 
judgment is necessary in the disbudding 
of tne branches in order to prevent undue 
crowding of young wood. The lower 
branches at both sides of the tree should 
always be kept well down, and these must 
be fastened in position at the winter tying 
Fig. 6. Section of inside border; A, 
drainage; B, rough portion of border; C, 
finer. 
tree. 
Fig. 8. Second year's training of young 
tree; A, leading branches; B, small shoots 
to fill in open spaces. 
Fig. q. Removing suckers; A, suckers on 
roots; B, soil removed to enable operator to 
get at the base of the suckers. 
December 12, iqo$ 
first, finishing at the centre of the tre 
as the latter part always fills up with ne 
shoots naturally. I am here referrii 
to fan-trained specimens. See Fig. 8. 
The disbudding of the new shoots 
spring must be done with a view to ha 
ing all those retained disposed about fo 
inches apart, then they will ripen. It 
on these young shoots that fruit is bor: 
the following year, and it is highly esse 
tial that they thoroughly mature. The 
will be very little need for autumn, 
winter pruning, if the disbudding 
young shoots be properly carried 01 
The Treatment of Suckers. 
These grow from the roots, general 
those which are about 5 inches below t 
surface. Trees which have been ne 
lected for several years produce ma 
clusters of these sucker growths. Mr 
cutting or pulling up will not avail mm 
as if one stem is cut off, several me 
grow from the base again, and so t 
number increases. 
The autumn is the best time for t 
destruction of root suckers. Careful 
take away the soil down to the roo" 
which the suckers grow, and then cut t 
latter off, removing a small portion 
the root with the base of the sucker. U 
a sharp knife, then the bark on the re 
will form a callus over the wound a 
further trouble from such growths w 
be avoided. Suckers which grow fre 
the base of the stem of the tree shou 
be cut off level with the bark with a sha 
instrument. These root growths form 
the roots or stem of the stock on whi 
the Nectarine or Peach is grafted, a 
when they are allowed to grow year af; 
year without being disturbed, th 
seriously affect the tree, impairing 
energy. 
Before filling in the hole after rente 
ing the suckers, put a mixture of tui 
loam and leaf soil, two-thirds of the fi 
mer and one-third of the latter, arou 
the roots. In this compost new fibre 
roots will grow, and these being near ; 
surface, will be available for the d 
nourishment of the tree when it is f 
with manure water. See Fig. 9. 
Temperature. 
These trees grow freely and ripen fr 1 
in the open, so that all temperatu:; 
under glass are maintained with a vis 
to the earlier ripening of the fruit. 
(a) Winter Temperature. — If otli 
kinds of plants are grown in the sa; 
structure they should be such as will : 
well if the frost is merely kept out, s 
it would be unwise to unduly excite t 
buds of the fruit trees. Frequently £ 
buds drop off the branches wholesaler 
spring when growth commences ; there < 
other causes for this bud dropping ■ 
sides that of varying temperatures in ni¬ 
ter, but everything should be done to p 
vent the interior of the house getting c 
hot when it ought to be cool, with a f < 
current of air passing through. It h 
natural for trees to rest in winter, c{ 
side, and these conditions should obt r 
when trees are grown in houses, as < 
growth in spring and summer is irM 
satisfactory. ; 
Except in frosty weather, leave e 
ventilators wide open from autumn un 
, the time comes for starting the rw 
growth. According to outside clinuk 
