AUGUST. 229 



Gooseberries are a very good crop, and the bushes are everywhere 

 looking remarkably healthy. Peaches and Nectarines are an extra- 

 ordinary crop ; they have set so thickly that they resemble ropes of 

 Onions, even where no protection was used. 



Pears are also a good crop, though much of the blossom was injured 

 by the severe frosts of the 4th and 5th of JNIay. The Fig-trees here, 

 which were covered as described in the last year's volume of the Florist^ 

 are showing an abundance of fruit. One branch of the White Mar- 

 seilles, which stood out a little distance at the bottom from the wall, 

 and was not covered, has been killed. 



Apples, to all appearances at present, are Ukely to be a very abundant 

 crop. The old Apple tree of Sir Walter Blackett's Favourite, mentioned 

 in a former Number, though it had several bushels of fruit on last year, 

 has not a single Apple on it this season ; but I entertain no fear of the 

 results next year, let the season be late or early, precarious or otherwise. 

 Again, the tree of White Calville Apple, of which also mention has 

 been made in a former Number, which has had nothing done to it in 

 the way of pruning, has very few fruit, while those that have been 

 pruned, and which stand only a few score yards distant, have a good 

 crop, some an over-abundant one. 



I do not consider that we gain much by the seasons being late. In 

 late seasons a few hot, sunny days will cause a great quantity of the 

 blossoms to expand, and when in this state one night's nipping frost 

 will do a great deal of injury. In seasons that are not so late the 

 blossoms expand more gradually ; and there being fewer open at one^ 

 time, a single night's frost does not the same amount of injury as if 

 the whole of the blossoms were expanded. 



I never remember a INIarch in which we had so little sunshine as the 

 last ; it was also very cold. The weather the whole of April was also 

 very cold, and the first three weeks of May were more Uke December. 

 On the morning of the 4th May we had a severe frost, and in the fore- 

 noon a heavy shower of hail, and in the afternoon a light fall of snow ; 

 towards night it cleared up, and by 1 1 o'clock we had nine degrees ^ of 

 frost. I shall not soon forget the morning of the 5th ; we had ice 

 nearly an inch in thickness. There was much Pear blossom expanded, 

 and much of it in places suffers ; still there appears a good crop. 

 Apricots, Peaches, and Nectarines escaped without sustaining much 

 injury ; there is no doubt the foliage is a great protection to the fruit, 

 being largely developed, they acted as a screen over the wall, and pre- 

 vented radiation ; and in consequence of there being no dew deposited, 

 the fruit would be dry, and of course would not suffer much from frost, 

 on a wall where the thermometer registered only a degree or two of 

 frost. 



We have had successively three severe seasons, as old-fashione 

 any our grandfathers experienced ; the next three may be like th^"^» 

 or they may be the reverse — they may be mild and favourable ; but to 

 depend on the nature of our springs for our fruit crops is vain. If we 

 expect crops next year, we must do the work now, by properly thinning 

 the shoots, &:c., so as to get well-ripened wood. 



By proper cultivation of the soil in drainage, &c., by proper pruning. 



