in a lamentable state of disease, being one mass of canker, gum and rottenness. To avoid this, recourse is had to the plum stock. And here much judgment and experience is necessary, as varieties of peaches demand peculiar stocks; what are termed French peaches, are generally worked on what is called the pear plum stock, a variety of slow growth, but one upon which these peaches appear to succeed well; the Muscle plum stock is a variety of much stronger growth, and on it are worked all the other sorts of peaches, with most nectarines; upon it they grow admirably, though the constitution of the French Peach is such that they will not take upon this stock. Mr. RIVERS uses a stock upon which all peaches grow finely. Formerly a stock was in cultivation called the Brompton Plum, a variety of very thrifty growth, but on which the peach was pre-disposed to disease, and on which it did not live long; this variety is now little used, and no English gardener that knows anything about peaches, would think of planting a tree if it were on this stock.

Let us now see in what way they are prepared for working. Small stocks are bedded out in good ground; here they stand two years; at the expiration of the second year, they are cut down to the ground level; the following season they throw up fine clean shoots, three to four feet in hight, and by the end of this year, they are taken up and planted out in the nursery lines for budding; every workman can perceive how much easier and better such young stuff can be budded, than stocks that may have taken the same, or even a less amount of time, to grow, but had not been headed down. Standard peaches and nectarines are generally budded at a height of from five to six feet, on the stock. The latter is grown for the purpose in this way: strong stocks are lined out in the nursery, in the same way as when they are intended for working dwarfs upon; here they are allowed to stand and grow two years; when they are cut even with the surface of the ground, they will throw up shoots from five to seven feet that summer; many will be fit to bud the same season, at a height of five or six feet, and the remainder the following summer. I have been thus particular in describing how this tree is raised in England, contrasted with the ease with which it may be cultivated here. I say ease, for the best culture which we can give it here, will be easy in comparison with its cultivation there. See what care is there required in selecting stocks suited to the varieties; next, the preparation which these stocks undergo to have them healthy and thrifty to receive the buds; and as we proceed we shall find the after treatment is equally assiduous; care, attention, and labor being as little spared. Here is the proper place to notice stocks, for this climate, and where this tree succeeds on its own roots there unquestionably is nothing better, if there is any thing as good; but in some of the northern states the plum stock may be useful; here, however, the stock must be of such a nature, that the peach will take and grow freely upon, and be likely to last; for the more delicate varieties of peaches, a stock of moderate growth should be used; time and experience alone can however determine which varieties will answer this purpose best, and which the varieties of peaches will grow upon.

I have extended these introductory remarks longer than I intended when I commenced, but I hope if I have made a digression it may be useful in its way. We shall now turn to the other part, and that which more immediately concerns us at present-the proper training of the tree. When the latter are purchased in the nursery, they should be young, clean and thrifty; one year old from the bud is best; if older, when headed back they do not break free; they will have the appearance of No. 1. In the present day I should hope no person would think of planting these or any other valuable trees with ceived from the nursery.

No. 1-the tree as re

out trenching, draining, and otherwise preparing the ground for their reception. Were I to enter into a description of the manner in which ground is made and prepared for the reception of these trees in England, it would surprise many. However, I take for granted our ground is properly prepared, and our trees planted; the latter operation I think is best performed in autumn; except for a very cold northern latitude, when perhaps early in spring is preferable; after planting, the heads may be lightened, but not cut fully back until spring; early in the latter season, say when the sap is about to move, let the plants be headed back to within three eyes of the place where it had been budded as shown in No. 2. As soon as these three eyes break, and the shoots are of sufficient length, they must be secured carefully to the trellis to which they are to be trained; they should be constanly watched when growing, that the shoots may not be injured by insects or other causes, as the loss of a branch would now be of vital importance to the future symmetry of the tree; all the lateral or summer shoots which these produce should be allowed to grow, and secured in the same way as the principal branches.

No. 2-headed down the first spring after planting.

As during the season of growth there is a reciprocal action carried on between the roots and branches, the numbers of the former will be regulated by the proportions of the latter. The amount of healthy foliage which a tree possesses, is also of paramount importance, leaves being the functions of respiration and digestion; the numerous fibres of a free growing peach tree collect an immense quantity of crude matter, which is propelled into the leaves; here it is digested and assimilated, and is prepared to become the wood of the tree. Now, if we had not an amount of foliage equivalent to the amount of roots, how would matters stand? Something in this way; the roots, as in the other case, would collect food, force it into the stem and branches, but not having a sufficiency of leaves to elaborate the sap, it remains in the pores of the tree, in a crude, indigested state; the following autumn arrives, and what shall we find? A tree with, it may be, strong wood, but that so sappy and unripened, that ere spring arrives it will be a mass of gum and canker. Let us now see what appearance our trees will present that had an abundance of healthy foliage, and which well performed their allotted offices under the bright light and intense heat of our fine summers. In the autumn we find the branches well ri

pened, ruddy in color, and as firm as a piece of oak; our young trees will now have concentrated within them, health and strength, and will have the appearance of No. 3. Perhaps I should have remarked when the trees had been planted, they should be well mulched with long stable litter, which should be left on through the summer, as it is of great benefit in keeping the roots moist; should the weather prove dry in early spring, a few good soakings of liquid manure will benefit them. Early in the spring of the second year, our trees must again be headed down, as shown in No 4, to two eyes, and as our tree is by this time pretty well established, it will break with considerable vigor.

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No. 3--As it appears after it's first year's growth.

The previous year I called attention to the great necessity of vigilance and care being given

to the tree at the time of the shoots breaking, and if anything, it will require more vigilance now; allow these soft young shoots to be now injured, and the symmetry of the tree is irretrievably lost; on the other hand, lay in and tie these shoots with care and in good time, and we shall accomplish much towards the perfect shape of our fature tree. It will be observed in the past year we had but three branches, which had been headed down in spring to two eyes each; we No. 4-Headed down in spring

of second year.

have, therefore, now six branches, which must be trained at full length with all the laterals, (or summer shoots;) for the reasons assigned last year, insects must be guarded against, as well as anything that would injure the tree or its foliage; mulching the roots, with occasionally a good watering of liquid manure, will very much assist it; by the end of this (second) summer it will have the appearance of No.

No. 5-The appearance of the tree at the expiration of the second year.

5. Here now we have a tree, healthy, strong, and thrifty, with abundance of roots, a clean stem, well formed, well ripened branches, and capable of being moulded into a beautiful tree in the coming year. Some will perhaps say, our tree is now too thrifty. But this phrase "too thrifty," I do not well comprehend; if by this they mean long, thick, gory, unripened shoots, they may call it "too thrifty" if they please, and they may consider such wood on their trees anything but desirable, but if the system I am describing is properly carried out, the wood will be of a very different character.

In place of spongy, soft unripened shoots, their tissues will be firm, well matured, and as ripe as sun and heat can make them, and under conditions such as these, I say there can be no such thing as "too thrifty." I can well understand in a climate such as England, where the digestive and respiratory organs of plants perform their offices slowly, and but too frequently imperfectly, over luxuriant growth is to be guarded against, and wood more moderate in size is desirable, in order to meet the quantity of pure air and elaborated sap. But in the original eastern home of the peach, this will not hold good, nor will it in our own warm sunny climate, which so closely resembles the seasons of its native land. Here revelling in the heat and bright sunshine, the foliage will digest and as

similate almost any quantity of sap which is propelled into them, there being nothing to impede their healthy action. I think this may be illustrated in another way; in cold northern climates, the Laplanders will eat whale blubber, and drink train oil, which to our taste is not very palatable; yet we live upon strong and nutritious food, when compared to the effeminate Hindoo, who in the warm atmosphere of India, feeds almost exclusively on rice. This shows that man requires to be fed in accordance with the climate in which he lives, but this is generally acknowledged as regards man and animals, and a little reflection will show it is as strictly true of the vegetable kingdom. I said a tree cannot be "too thrifty" if the wood is properly matured, the tree clean and full of health, with abundance of roots in well prepared ground, near the surface. Do persons object to fruit being over large, if the flavor is of as good quality as those of smaller size? I think not. Again florists have rules by which they judge what are termed "florist flowers;" after all the various points are stated, the last comes is size, which is generally worded something in this way, "the larger a flower is, provided it possesses all the other good qualities, the better." Now in what way is this large fruit grown? Has Mr. Mills produced his monstrous pine from little plants? The contrary: his plants were large, and would indeed be called thrifty. Are the finest grapes grown produced by weak canes? I' think not. Those who have read Mr. CUTHILL's articles on market gardening round London, will judge if the growers of monstrous strawberries, know what it is to have their plants too thrifty. I might now pass through florist flowers, and show how strength is concentrated in the plants which produce such perfect blooms. But let us glance a little at the animal kingdom. I have yet to learn if the raisers of that beautiful animal, the horse, object to size, if the animal possesses every other good point. Will the breeders of Short-horned and Hereford cattle object to size, combining with it every other good point? Those who raise the fine Leicester sheep, will, I am sure, be pleased with size, combining with it the other qualities. In the same way I may pass through many more, but the above will illustrate my meaning. When, therefore, I hear of "too thrifty," I understand something like the following: A rank luxuriant tree, full of sappy plethoric shoots, unripened and incapable of being matured, with the roots in an undrained, cold or wet soil. But planted in a proper soil, with good after cultivation, so as to have our wood, as it should be, properly matured, we shall know nothing of “too thrifty." At the close of the second autumn, the trees we said would have the appearance of No. 5, and by this time it is evident we have an amount of strength concentrated in the tree and its roots; the latter will be most numerous, strong, healthy, and active. The following spring our tree will once more be headed down to two eyes, to a shoot, as shown in No. 6. As we had last year six shoots we shall now have twelve; as soon as these advance in growth, sufficient to receive a tie, they should be secured to the trellis or whatever it is intended they should be trained to; on starting in the past year, I noticed the great amount of care necessary for the preservation of the shoots, lest the symmetry may be destroyed, and more imperatively necessary is care No. 6-Headed down in spring of third year. and vigilance now; the loss of a shoot is now irreparable, and no after skill or judgment can properly supply its place. When the shoots have attained from 15 to 18 inches in length, let the extreme points of all be stopped as shown in No. 7, B. B. This and all subsequent stoppings must be performed on the soft watery points of the shoots; they will then break as freely as though they had not been stopped at all, whereas if the shoots

once become firm, they break with more difficulty, and take a longer time. From the points B.B. where the shoots had been stopped, several branches will break, but not more than two should be suffered to grow from each shoot; that number will be sufficient to fill

No. 7-The perfect tree at the end of the third year, capable of producing a fruit crop the following season. up the tree, allowing the wood a proper distance; and in some cases where the wood appears to be getting too thick or crowded, only one shoot should be allowed to grow; when these have again reached the length of 15 or 18 inches, another stopping takes place at C.C., in precisely the same way as the former (at B.B.,) allowing about the same number of shoots to grow; on these becoming once more 15 to 18 inches in length, a stopping for the third time will be required at D.D., and the shoots laid in as in the former stoppings. These stoppings will in general be sufficient for ordinary trees, but in the case of very strong trees they will require four, and ripen the whole of the wood well. I have said from 15 to 18 inches between each stopping, but it may in particular cases require a little more or less in order to properly regulate the wood over the trellis as well as to preserve the symmetry of the tree. I take for granted whilst this stopping has been going on, no care was wanting to preserve the shoots and leaves, clean, healthy, and free from insects. At the expiration of our third year the tree has the appearance of No. 7, and will have covered a great many square feet of trellis; it is now full of bearing wood from the stem of the tree to the extremities of the branches, all of which will be properly ripened and matured; the latter is accomplished in England on walls, and there will not be the least difficulty in the splendid climate we here possess. In the spring of the fourth year, the tree demands but little pruning, merely shortening the extremities of the shoots from six to nine or twelve inches, as may be found necessary; our trees are now strong and thrifty; they are also beautifully symmetrical, and we may now expect an abundant crop; at the same time I would entreat of every grower, not to be over severe on his trees by allowing them to bear too freely; rather err upon the opposite side, by well thinning the fruit; by this means the fruit will be more beautiful, and the trees preserved in thrifty growth.