144 THE FLORIST. 



by an easterly wind ; this frost has almost completed the ruin of our 

 crops of Pears, Plums, and Cherries, excepting perhaps those in some 

 favoured locality, or which had ample protection, a thing almost impos- 

 sible to effect within the means of an ordinary garden expenditure, to 

 say nothing of orchards and open garden fruits. 



We have so frequently advocated orchard-houses in the Florist, as 

 an almost indispensable auxiliary to a fruit garden, that we need not 

 go further in that direction, excepting to remind those of our readers 

 who doubted their ever becoming a substitute for brick walls, that 

 their manifest increase throughout the country affords the best evidence 

 of their utility, and that our recommendation for their being adopted 

 was sound advice, borne out by the experience of all who have tried 

 them on rational principles. We therefore leave orchard-houses out of 

 our present calculations, to see how far it is practicable to ensure crops 

 of fruit, during such weather as the present, without the assistance of 

 glass. 



A well-arranged garden, surrounded with walls, with its quarters 

 well furnished with bush or pyramid- shaped Pears,*&c, and its divi- 

 sional and surrounding walks margined with choice espaliers, is a thing 

 to admire, more especially when the trees are in bloom, and give 

 hopeful promise of an abundant return for all the trouble and anxiety 

 they cost. But how often, after witnessing the beautiful display of 

 bloom, are we doomed to disappointment. One or more frosts, such as 

 we have lately experienced, come on us without much warning ; and, 

 if warning was given, how could we entirely prevent the conse- 

 quences ? All is then over for the season, and the gardeners' motto of 

 Nil desperandum scarcely keeps him progressing under disappoint- 

 ments such as these. It strikes us, we must alter our garden arrange- 

 ment for fruit trees ; true, we may continue to intersect our kitchen 

 garden quarters with fruit trees, in whatever form we may fancy to 

 train ; and so we may continue to line our walks to the right and left 

 with espalier Pears, Plums, &c. ; but are we wise in spending so much 

 money and time for such uncertain results ? We think not, allowing 

 for all the contingencies which intervene between planting and the 

 realisation of returns commensurate with the outlay. Still, when 

 there are means, we say, let the thing be done as now, — and, some- 

 thing else besides. Looking at most kitchen gardens, we shall find them 

 surrounded with walls, from ten to sixteen feet high, which are accom- 

 panied by borders of a similar width, or perhaps wider, on which are 

 grown different kinds of vegetables. The south borders must, as a 

 matter of course, be reserved for the first crop of Peas, or hand-glass 

 Cauliflowers, or early Potatoes, and so with all the rest ; they are 

 generally the gardener's choice bits of ground, on which to foster and 

 grow up anything he wishes to do better than ordinary. We need 

 not add that this cropping is now universally condemned as inimical 

 to the well-doing of wall trees, which are frequently injured by the 

 system to an extent, in comparison of which any crop of vegetables 

 that may be raised is a sorry equivalent. We say, then, avoid all 

 vegetable cropping on the wall borders, and prepare them for growing 

 what fruit you may require, with a view of protecting the trees when 



