Let us now proceed with the culture of our maiden tree. A season has passed: it is early spring, say the middle of February, and our tree, with its nine branches of the last summer's growth, is before us; three of these should be cut down to within five buds of their bases, to give a supply of young shoots for the succeeding year, and six should be cut down so as to leave, on each branch ten or twelve triple buds. These are the fruit-bearing branches for the present season: and so it must be every year; a few branches, say one-third, must be cut in closely on opposite sides of the tree to give young shoots, and the remainder left as above to bear fruit. Those shoots that have borne fruit will often require to be cut out, to make the tree dwarf and prevent its becoming naked, as the spurs die after bearing, unlike those of the apricot and plum, which continue to bear fruit for many years. Much will depend upon the sort cultivated, and the vigor of the tree: one thing must be borne in mind, - do not let the tree become bare of young shoots towards its base, and tall and straggling.

If pruned in spring, the nature of every bud may be seen, and the tree formed, by the proper use of the knife, into a fruitful, beautiful bush.* From twelve to fifteen leading shoots should be left in summer pruning on each tree when in a full-bearing state.

I have thus endeavored to follow the "maiden" tree to its fruiting state. The "cut-downn tree, which should have four or five branches, should be potted in autumn and pruned in early spring: each branch must be shortened to six inches; these will put forth numerous young shoots, which in June should be thinned out with a sharp knife, leaving nine or more shoots to be pruned the following spring, as above directed. If trees in pots three or four years old in bearing state can be purchased, it is a saving of time, for if they are potted before Christmas, a crop of fruit may be expected the ensuing summer; in such trees, the shoots intended to bear fruit, and covered with triple blossom-buds, may be shortened to ten buds, and those which are to make young shoots for the next year's bearing should be shortened to five buds.

I think I may now add with safety, having (this day, February 14, 1856) just pruned my trees for the sixth year, that but little anxiety need be felt by the beginner, for when a peach tree has been in a pot in an orchard house for two years it will bear, prune it how you will. All that seems to be required is to make the tree symmetrical and prevent its bearing too bountifully, for it must be borne in mind that fruit from a tree overloaded, whether under glass or in the open air, is never of a fine flavor. Peaches, pears, plums, apples, and indeed all descriptions of fruit, suffer in flavor to an extent scarcely thought of, if the tree be suffered to bear too many. It is better to have one dozen of peaches large and of fine flavor, than two dozen small and inferior; besides this, a tree suffered to bear too large a crop will be sure to fail the following season.

* When the trees are in a bearing state, many abort, spur-like shoots, from four to six inches long, will be made every season on the stem and towards the base of the principal branches. These will be generally covered with single blossom-bads and a terminal leaf-bud: they may be removed if too much crowded, but never shortened.

I need not repeat here the directions for the general management I have given for apricots: exactly the same is required for peaches and nectarines, which may be grown with them; the same top dressing, liquid manuring, syringing, root-pruning, and winter management.

Peaches and nectariues, either in the open air or under glass, are inclined to grow too vigorously: pot culture here gives a great advantage; the trees should be lifted, so as to break off all the roots that are entering the border from the apertures at the bottom of the pot; this operation should be performed once a week, commencing the second week in June, and continued till the end of July; they may then be suffered to make roots into the border till the fruit is gathered. By this treatment the trees become sturdy and short-jointed; i. e., very short spaces will be found between the buds. Trees that have been from five to seven years in pots will require abundance of water daily, in summer, as the pots become full of roots, and absorb a large quantity.

There is a matter of importance, in the culture of peaches and nectarines, to which I beg the reader's special attention; although it is a repetition, and that is free ventilation. In the warmer parts of England, and more particularly in Surrey, I have heard of two or three failures in growing peaches and nectarines in orchard houses, owing entirely to the attacks of the red spider, brought on by the unskilful management of servants, calling themselves gardeners, who would persist in shutting up their houses at four o'clock in the afternoon, in hot weather, and not opening them till nine in the morning; the poor trees were thus suffocated, and so enfeebled as not to be able to resist the attacks of this most persevering and insidious enemy. Now let me advise any one who has such a servant, to open all the shutters about the first week in July, and have them nailed so that they cannot be closed; they may remain so till the first of September. If the trees are regularly syringed, no red spider will make its appearance, and the fruit will be of much finer flavor for this constant and free ventilation.

The usual and proper mode of ventilation is to have the shutters open by day all through the spring and early summer months, and open night and day as soon as the peaches begin to color, unless the house be in an exposed place, and the weather cold and windy, then they should be only partially open. But few gardeners have the courage to give air enough to orchard houses and vineries: in mine, without fire-heat, abundance of air is given night and day, from the middle of July till the grapes are ripe.