MAY. 131 



very mlkl weather. This plan exposes the bloom fully to the action of 

 the sun and air by day, and even by night when mild, and gives 

 tliem the requisite protection from frost and cutting winds when 

 wanted ; this is to be obtained by canvas, or even hexagonal netting, 

 on rollers made to wind up and let down as wanted. The expense is 

 not very great, and with care the covering will last many years ; and, 

 moreover, if the netting is employed, it will be foimd serviceable at 

 another season, when the ripe fruit will require protection from wasps 

 and flies. The next best substitute we have used (which, however, is 

 not to be obtained in every locality), is the spray from Beech trees with 

 the dry leaves of the preceding summer on ; these are light and open, 

 admit a good share of air to the bloom, and at the same time break the 

 effects of frosty and cutting winds. They must of course be tied or 

 nailed to the walls, and remain on the trees during the blooming period ; 

 as the danger decreases, remove them by a few at a time, so as not to 

 expose the trees all at once. 



Retarding the bloom, in the same way, has its advocates and oppo- 

 nents. The rationale of the practice is this : — If the Peach can be 

 kept from blooming for a fortnight, say from the second or third week 

 in March to the second week in April (which was the case last year, 

 owing to the lateness of the season), the chances are that at the latter 

 period the weather will be more settled and the temperature higher, 

 and that, therefore, independent of protection, a crop is more certain, 

 other causes being the same. But retarding by shading is a bad 

 practice, as this also has a tendency to weaken the bloom. The best 

 way is to tie the wood away from the walls to rods, supported by 

 stakes ; the wood is thus cut off from the heat the wall absorbs from 

 the sun's rays, and is, moreover, fully exposed to the full influence of 

 Virind and weather, which will prevent the blooms from opening so soon 

 by ten days or a fortnight ; when they are no longer safe, untie them 

 and nail them to the wall. If the wood has been well ripened, 1 find 

 this plan very efficient in keeping the bloom from opening so early, and 

 thus they flower all the stronger for it, as the weather hardens the wood. 



{To be continued.) 



BEST DAHLIAS. 



It is some time since I had the pleasure to offer so valuable a list of 

 Dahlias as the following. It is not too much to say that all growers with 

 whom I am in the remotest degree acquainted have, with the charac- 

 teristics of true florists, enabled me to frame a return so universal that 

 it will serve the country at large as a standard for the year. 



I know how valuable the space of the Florist is, and have therefore 

 condensed the lists with my utmost care, yet not, I would hope, in a 

 manner at all to impair their usefulness. My application was for the 

 names of the best 36 varieties ; it will be found that 20 such lists have 

 been received, for which I tender my best thanks ; but to have given 

 them in detail would, 1 think, have rather injured than benefitted the 

 cause for which they were collected. When I state that the whole number 



