562 THE GARDENER. [Dec. 



the Peach till there is less likelihood of a continuance of cold weather, 

 such as we had this spring after the trees were in bloom. And his 

 experiment goes far to prove the truth of what he says. The difficulty 

 is, how is the desired end best to be effected, at the least expense, 

 and with the least labour ^ Many winters may pass over our heads 

 ere we see see such another February, and followed by such a March. 



And it would certainly be very provoking for one to put up a screen 

 of double, or even single, mats (on a large or small scale), and after 

 having secured them against wind, ttc. (no easy matter on some ex- 

 posures), to find that in three years out of four they would not be 

 required to hide " nature from nature's sun." And, worse still, it 

 might be found that to allow such protection to remain (except ap- 

 plied at a greater distance than 2 feet) would be to hasten what it 

 was intended to retard. If dull close sort of weather occurred instead 

 of the dreaded sunshine, which is just as likely, I am afraid the pro- 

 tection, unless removed, would do more harm than good. AVhat we 

 want is protection that can be removed and replaced when required 

 (for either bright sun or frosts) in as short time as possible. The 

 custom of fixing canvas or netting over Peaches, &c., permanently, 

 from the time they came into bloom till the end of April or middle of 

 May, has long been practised, and, no doubt, it is very essential in its 

 w^ay, especially in the north of England, in all low-lying places, and in 

 Scotland. But it would be of more value could they remove it when 

 not required ; for whatever is thick enough to throw off four or five 

 degrees of frost must deprive the trees, when expanding into leaf, of 

 light and air, so necessary to their wellbeing. On arriving here (in a 

 rather bleak corner of Northumberland) last February, my employer 

 expressed a desire that some plan should be got for the easy removal 

 and replacing of the canvas, which, in former years, had always been 

 immovable, for the time, much against his will. The desired plan was 

 produced, and 80 feet of a south aspect wall done as an experiment. 

 The result was, that one man could cover or uncover this 80 feet of 

 wall in the short space of four minutes, and bright suns could be 

 kept off as well as the late spring frosts. The few Peaches we have 

 here had a fair crop on them, and the crop of Apricots was all that 

 could be desired. But I don't mean to say that the protection saved 

 them ; on the contrary, I must confess that a branch extending 

 beyond the canvas had as good a crop as any other part of the 

 tree. But because of this single instance, I think it would be rash to 

 say the thing is useless till further trial is made. With the permission 

 of the Editor, I shall in another number give a short sketch of our 

 mode of protection, hoping that others may try the same, or something 

 better on the same principle. R. I., G. P. 



