354 THE FLORIST. 



OPEN BRICK WALLS VERSUS PROTECTION. 



{Concluded from page 325.) 



The next witness called for the defence in this case was ]\Ir. William 

 Ingram, Belvoir Castle, Grantham, who deposed to the crops not being 

 generally good in his neighbourhood, although his own crops of Peaches, 

 Nectarines, Apricots, and Golden-drop Plums were good. That he 

 uses straw mats suspended upon poles, and that for three years suc- 

 cessively he has saved good crops of Apricots upon south walls by using 

 those mats, whereas for the three previous years before he used those 

 coverings no fruit was obtained ; beneath those coverings a self- 

 registering thermometer indicated 32°, and one at the same time fully 

 exposed indicated 24° Fahrenheit. His natural soil is Has clay, 

 which he has well drained. This witness further stated, upon cross- 

 examination, that he had seen good crops of Apricots upon trees trained 

 to cottages, but he did not consider those unprotected. 



Mr. W. Elliott, Lilleshall, Newport, Salop, next adverted to the crops 

 being very scarce with him and in his neighbourhood, whether pro- 

 tected or not, all having shared the same fate. That he used light 

 canvas on rollers, and that he thinks it advisable to have the greater 

 part of the trees protected, this being his first failure since he has used 

 protection : his borders do not want draining. 



Mr. John Spink, Castle Gardens, Warwick, was next brought 

 forward. He stated that he had not known such a scarcity of wall 

 fruit these thirty years ; upon east aspects a complete failure — west 

 aspects, rather better crops. He protects with netting ; his neighbours 

 generally use Yew and Laurel branches. He considers that without 

 protection a complete failure may be anticipated. 



Mr. John Haythorne, Woolaton, Nottingham, here deposed to the 

 crops being mostly a failure in his neighbourhood, with the exception of 

 Apricots. He uses a thick close net, evergreen boughs, and frigi-domo, 

 which he considers a good covering, and has always found it, when 

 made to take up and let down, necessary to ensure good crops ; he 

 considers glass cases a sufficient proof of this. But, upon cross- 

 examination, it was elicited from this witness that although he had 

 paid great attention to his coverings this season, and had covered every 

 tree, he had met with a total failure, with the exception of one from 

 which he had to thin the fruit : the cause of the failure of his other 

 trees he could not discover, as all were covered with the same material, 

 and all were in good health. 



Mr. Charles Keetly, Osmaston Hall, Derby, next stated that the crops 

 of wall fruit were very bad with him, with the exception of Apricots ; 

 that he protects with haybands, Yew branches, and old fish nets. He 

 has well drained his borders. He has never, throughout his observation, 

 seen equally good crops upon the unprotected as upon the protected 

 trees. 



Mr. Henry Hardinge, Pewsey, Wilts, said that the crops were 

 pretty good with him ; that fine netting and canvas were generally 



