350 THE GARDENER. [Aug. 



were placed at equal distances along the wall, and tackle adjusted 

 thereto, by which means the netting could be drawn up and down at 

 pleasure. Whenever a frosty night threatened or cold winds prevailed, 

 these nets were run down ; but during the day, when the weather was 

 fine, they were invariably drawn up. A broad temporary wooden cop- 

 ing has been recommended and extensively used by some of our lead- 

 ing horticulturists. The breadth used is from 9 inches to 1 foot, and 

 it has often proved very serviceable for the purpose intended. Yet we 

 cannot shut our eyes to the fact that if a sharp wind were blowing 

 with the frost, the chances are that not more than 2 or 3 feet of the 

 upper surface of the wall would be saved even with 1 foot of coping. 

 Others, again, use Spruce branches or Fern branches, which are hung 

 regularly all over the surface of the trees ; and from the labour neces- 

 sary to place them there, it will be obvious that they must be perman- 

 ent until their work is accomplished. This I consider the worst of all 

 protections, and would scarcely recommend it unless no other could 

 be obtained. Among the many arguments which might be brought 

 against this mode is the very obvious one, that while the trees are pro- 

 tected from the severity of wind and frost, they are also denied the bene- 

 fits to be derived from the genial influences of the sun and light. The 

 young fruit, as it begins to form, assumes a pale sickly appearance, very 

 different from the bright healthy green look natural to the Apricot ; 

 while the shoots and leaves become weakly and " drawn." Such whole- 

 sale covering cannot, therefore, be good ; for although, under this system, 

 young vigorous trees may produce good crops of fair fruit, yet I doubt 

 not, if other and more natural means were adopted, a good crop of better 

 fruit would be the result. Trees protected by the methods just alluded 

 to cannot be expected to be so hardy as to allow the total removal of 

 their covering at one time, yet from the nature of such coverings it is 

 impossible to do otherwise ; and the consequence is, they will often 

 suffer as much, after its removal, from the effects of 4 or 5 degrees of 

 frost, as they might have suffered had they been entirely left to the 

 mercy of the weather without any protection whatever, or even more. 

 The method of protection which I have recommended as the best for this 

 period, will also be found to be the best for protecting the fruit from 

 the ravages of wasps and suchlike when the fruit is ripening, unless 

 where hexagon netting is used. While wool-netting, which is generally 

 about 1 inch in the mesh, will keep out birds, it will at the same time 

 prevent wasps, which are great devourers of the Apricot, from entering, 

 as they dislike wool so much that they will not alight upon it, and 

 without alighting upon it they will not attempt to pass through. 



As soon as the Apricots have set, and are about the size of a large 

 Pea, the fruit should be thinned out to about half the distance that it 



