1870.] PROTECTION FOR WALL FRUIT-TREES. 37 



flowering 



From the Society's Gardens at Chiswick came large 

 branches of Dahlia Imperialis, bloomed in one of the houses at Chis 

 wick by Mr Barron. It was awarded a first-class certificate as a decora 

 tive plant for the conservatory. R. D. 



PROTECTION FOR WALL FRUIT-TREES. 



Fig. 1 represents a 12-foot wall, the canvas drawn a little way up. 

 a a a a we f-inch wrought-iron rods, which are hooked into an eye in 

 an iron bar projecting from the wall at the top, and fixed at the bottom 

 by means of a screw-nail through its flattened end in a 3-inch-square 



Fig. 1. 



post, b b is a narrow piece of 1-inch deal attached by iron staples to 

 the rods, so that it easily moves up or down. To this rail, at c c inside 

 the canvas, are attached the ends of the ropes, which pass over four 

 pulleys, by which means the rail is quite easily drawn to the top, and 

 with it the canvas — both drawn up together like a curtain, being strung 

 upon the rods by rings about 18 inches apart. When drawn up, the cords 

 are twisted round hooks on the side of one of the posts (d) to keep it 

 in its place at the top, and prevent the ropes getting soiled. When 

 let down, a loop thrown over each end of the bottom rail secures the 

 canvas from flapping with the wind. The sheet of canvas represented 

 in the fig. is 20 feet long by 9 feet wide. It was found that 20 feet 

 was as long as could be conveniently worked. After binding the 



