162 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. * 



instances seen all these trees in bloom at the same time in tlie same 

 garden ; but the pears were sufficiently in advance of the apples to 

 be caught in an easterly blast accompanied with rain, and where 

 the trees make now but a small promise of fruit, the failure may be 

 fairly attributed to the ungenial state of the elements at the time 

 the bloom was at its best. 



In several places of the west of England we have seen the pear- 

 trees as thickly covered as to indicate that if not well thinned by 

 art or nature, they must be broken down by the weight of i'ruit ; 

 nevertheless we expect it will prove that, generally speaking, pears 

 are scarce. The sudden outburst of warm weather just preceding 

 the 20th of February, forced many apricot-trees into bloom, and 

 very bad weather followed tluit date ; yet there is in most gardens, 

 both in the east and west of England, a very fair show of fruit. It 

 curiously happens that in several cases we have this season had 

 pointed out to us apricot-trees that were protected by nets, or 

 sheets, or otherwise, and that show no fruit to pay for the care 

 bestowed on them ; while in the same garden, or in gardens close 

 by, other trees similarly situated as to soil and aspect, and that were 

 left wholly without protection, have an abundant sprinkling of 

 young fruit. Thus there are two sides to the question of protect- 

 ing wall-trees. However, on the other side of this question we can 

 say that in almost every case where we have seen good promises of 

 Peaches and I^ectarines, the trees were protected, and needed the 

 protection. It is the custom with many experienced cultivators to 

 shade the trees during the day, and fully expose them at night, in the 

 event of warm weather occurring in Eebruary. This practice tends 

 to retard the bloom, and is usually attended with good results. 



But it is every season becoming more and UiOre manifest that 

 for all the more tender kinds of fruits we must make use of glass, 

 save and except in some of the warmer districts of the south and 

 west, where the winters are rarely severe, and the spring frosts so 

 common and so destructive in the eastern and northern parts of the 

 country are comparatively unknown. If it be asked if the climate 

 is less capable of producing wall fruit than heretofore, we have no 

 hesitation in replying that in our opinion it has changed con- 

 siderably of late years in this respect, though as to the mean 

 temperature of the year, and the average rainfall, there may, 

 perhaps, be no evidence of change. It must be remembered that 

 wall fruits were never abundant in this country from year to year, 

 without exception. There have always been good years and bad 

 years, and in times when a peach-house was a luxury for the 

 wealthy only, people were content to have all that could be got 

 from walls, and when they got nothing, they believed it was inevit- 

 able. But times have changed ; rents have risen, land and labour 

 continually increase in value, and if we plant fruit-trees in our 

 gardens, we must, in self defence, compel them to bear fruit ; we 

 cannot afford, nor is it desirable, that we should be satisfied to trust 

 entirely to the promiscuous results of out-door growth in the culti- 

 vation of tender fruits ; for the crop of one season when, as now, 

 there is a pretty general failure, will amply pay for the means of 



