504 THE GARDENER. [Nov. 



PROTECTING THE BLOSSOMS OF FRUIT-TREES. 



During the severe frost last winter, I found considerable diflSculty to fix upon 

 some plan that would effectually serve for the above purpose. I had previously 

 seen the eflScacy of various kinds of coverings ; but of all those known to me, the 

 best seemed to be one similar to that which 1 now mean to give a description of, 

 and which may be designated the hay-net. 



I mentioned what I wanted to one of the most intelligent men employed in the 

 garden, and he then told me that the wall-trees here years ago used to be protected 

 by a similar covering ; and on inquiry, I found that he knew how to proceed in 

 the matter. AVithout any delay we made preparations for getting a lot of nets 

 made, and the first thing that we required was a frame in which to make them. 

 This we soon procured, which I can compare to an old-fashioned wooden bed- 

 stead without the cross-beams in the area. In addition it had a few wooden pins 

 round it for holding the nets, as will be seen afterwards. The size of the frame 

 was 11 feet long by 5 feet broad, and about 3 feet high, which was thought 

 the most convenient. When the frame was procured, hay-ropes were made, for 

 that material was ready at hand, and fixed upon it. We soon got a lot of nets 

 made in one of the garden-sheds, where the men were not exposed to the severe 

 weather. 



In getting the ropes laid upon the frame for making our nets, the first one was 

 laid round the edge outside the pins for a margin ; the next was placed diagonally, 

 from one corner to the other; then others were laid in the same direction as the 

 latter, at about 5 inches apart, till the space on both sides was filled up. Then, 

 again, from the opposite angle was laid another diagonal, taken in and out between 

 the others already fixed, after the fashion of wicker-work. A corresponding number 

 of ropes were worked in on each side of the latter till the net was framed out. All 

 the ends of these ropes were fixed to the margin in due course, and when a tie 

 with tar-cord was given at each crossing of the ropes, the net was ready for use. 



We made as many nets in this way as protected about 150 yards of wall ; and 

 the rate we made them at was about 1 net per day for each man. 



As the season advanced, and as soon as the first blossom began to expand, we 

 put on our first set of nets. That was of course upon the Apricots ; and in order 

 to get them protected, the first part of our work was to place a lot of poles, 

 and fix them, one every 5 feet, at an angle of about 65° to the wall ; these were 

 to answer the width of the nets, as will be understood, to keep them properly 

 ofi" the wall ; behind, the poles were fixed ; then we got on our nets, which we 

 tied breadthwise to the topmost wire of the trellice, just under the coping. All 

 that was now required was a wooden pin, put in to keep the two lower comers of 

 the nets together, which were not kept in position by the poles, and the covering 

 ■was completed. 



We had all our Peaches and Apricots covered in this way, excepting one wall 

 of the latter, and that we had protected by a double ply of herring-nets and 

 another of hexagon netting together. This we tried for comparison with the hay- 

 nets. What of the result of these two modes of covering ? From the trees that 

 were protected by the herring-nets we have scarcely had a crop ; whereas from 

 those that were covered by the hay-nets we have gathered an abundant crop, and 

 we thinned as many fruit off them as would have made six good crops. These 

 results speak for themselves, and show the superiority of the one mode of cover- 

 ing over the other. 



On all favourable occasions when we thought that we could render any assist- 

 ance to the blossoms to insure their fertility, we lifted the nets up and doubled 



