750 
the GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 
STONE-SPLITTING IN PEACHES 
AND NECTARINES. 
Tills year I have met witli rather more 
than the usual iiumher of eases of stone¬ 
splitting among peaches and nectarines, 
and think it might not he amiss to draw 
attention to the causes of, and remedies for, 
the evil, now that we are on the eve of the 
planting season, in order that provision 
may be. made to avoid sucli unhappy results 
in the future. 
The evil is due to one, or both, of two 
caiis^, viz., an unsuitable border and fluc¬ 
tuations of temperature at certain periods 
of fruit development. The border may be 
regarded as the chief source of stone split¬ 
ting, as its condition, both chemically and 
physically, has the greatest influence on the 
in accordance with their needs. In the 
case of stone fi'uits lime is specially valu¬ 
able in composts, and the larger the 
stones the greater the demand for lime. 
Peaches, nectarines, and apricots have 
larger stones than cherries, damsons, and 
the majority of plums. Consequently the 
former should be afforded a larger supply 
than the latter. Soils* rich in phosphates, 
potash, and lime, free from acidity and 
excessive organic matter, give little trouble 
in stone-splitting, when care is taken at the 
beginning of the stoning period to avoid 
rapid changes of temperature. It is when 
these plant foods, especially lime, are lack¬ 
ing, that stone splitting is most trouble- 
OcTOBKR 4, l&ix 
If a border of this kind is made e, 
m the autumn it wi\\ -be fairly warm n,- 
if made in winter it liecomes cold. In iv 
hitter case water at a temperature of 
90 degrees should be uswl to moisW 
when the trees are to be started ■ ^ 
groivdh. In such borders stone spbp!,;' 
will be little known if proper attenti r " 
paid to ventilating during the oarlv i ■ 
tical, stoning period. AVith early 
trees it is sometimes difficult to kwp 
the temperature and prevent cohl 
reaching the tender foliage. If this 
he accomplished, much will have l>een d- 
to prevent stone-splitting. Durinjj rh 
stoning period a lower rather than a hid? 
temperature, with a free circulation of 
in the structure, should be aimed at. Bvr 
this means the thin wall of the stonos 
have time to thicken and harden with^;iJ^ 
undue pressure from within, and the like , 
liood of splitting be rendered remote. 
AVorn-out borders may lie partly reiit^^^ 
with the compcM^ advised, and where tli? 
is not convenient, a liberal quantity 
vitality of the tree, but even with this as it 
should be, unfortunate results of stone 
splitting will fallow rapid rises of tempera¬ 
ture at the time the stones are forming. 
Peaches and nectarines love good drain¬ 
age in the border in which they groiv, and 
resent anything approaching a clammy and 
sour root-riin; it is therefore imperative 
that their root medium sboidd he w'ell aired 
and sweet. AH stone fruits must h.ave 
abundance of lime in the soil, and none 
need more than peaches and nectarines, 
and on this account an ampl3 supply should 
be provided. Phosphates and jiotash are 
al^ indispensable fruit-producing food con¬ 
stituents of a soil for peaches and nec¬ 
tarines. 
As the aim in cultivating peaches and 
nectarines is to produce large finely- 
flavoured fruits, every care should he taken 
to provide the trees wdth the needful sup¬ 
ply of food coustitaents—phosphates, lime, 
potash—in an available form, and to regu¬ 
late the quantity of nitrogenous manures 
some, as the walls of the stones are weak 
and unable to resist the pressure of the 
pulpy tissues within them when a sudden 
expansion is occasioned by a rise of tem¬ 
perature. 
AA'hen new borders are contemplated, I 
would advise making them three and a half 
feet deep, with a slope to the sun. Along 
the front of this a main drain, with others 
at right angles aibout lOft. apart, should 
be run across the border, and the remainder 
of the bottom filled with brickbats, stones, 
clinker, or any other porous material, to 
the depth of one foot. On the top of this 
should be placed tivo and a half feet of a 
compost in the folloiving proportions: Five 
cartloads of yellow, turfy loam chopped into 
pieces about three inches square; one cart¬ 
load of old plaster or lime rubble, screened ; 
three hundredweight of honemeal, and a 
quarter-hundredweight of sulphate of pot¬ 
ash. The whole must be w^ell mixed and 
made moderately firm. No organic manure 
should bo employed. 
bonemeal should he worked in, . 
and potash applied to the surface. P 
of potash applied in this way shouM^- 
exceed one and a-half ounces to t 
yard for one dressing. Tlie 
be repeated throughout the ^ , • 
Nitrogenous manures ' 
ployed to assist the trees to n^'® ^ . 
Lavy crop, and therefore f 
applied until the second ^jberma- 
place. 
hubarb.-For very ll- 
53 it ie absolutely “"y " 
vns which have been pr ^ ;i;. - 
gfiven a short season tc ^- 
.Lrly varieties. 
crowns at the earlie^ ^u^weather: 
them fully expos^ to they 
hev have a few j, auiche’’ ' 
ably start into gro\rth the W; 
nge'r. When placed a 
t thoroughly exdud^.;^ 
si heat snven. —AA . Mes 
