July as, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUIIE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



f55 



and for tlio better kinJH of Api)lefi. Thore iw a f,'r(Mit advantiiRO 

 in tliPKP loan-to limisi'S with walls — viz., that thii fruit on the 

 walls conu'S into uso oarlior than that on trees in the bonlers. 

 I am certain that oovoriufi; wkUh with f^lasx is one of the very 

 boHt syateniH that can he ailojitecl in any garilen, in order to 

 ensure certainty of crop, eiirliness, ami the cultivation of fruits 

 that do not ripen well on open walls. I am equally certain 

 that such coverings need not he eonsfructiid as a matter of 

 necessity ; for the fruit trees which I have mentioned for 

 .south walls, and shall name for the other asjxu'ts, have been, 

 and can be, successfully grown on walls now as in days of yore. 

 Tliere should, however, be some limit as to latitude and ele- 

 vation : I may, therefore, observe that these rennirks are based 

 on observations made between 52' and 'A" of north latitude!. 



To resume. A south wall receives and absorbs the greatest 

 amount of lieat, it is, cousecpiently, the warmest. Fruits ripened 

 on it are sweeter, more sugary, of whatever description they 

 may be, including those that grow on the other aspects — as 

 Plums, Cherries, Pears, and bush fruit as Currants and (ioose- 

 berries. The heat absorbed by day is radiated during the 

 night, and a thermometer with its bulb exposed towards the 

 wall indicates a temperature of from ti' to 10° higher than one 

 in the open ground at the same distance from the ground. I 

 have found that the blossoms (never so tender as the young 

 fruit), are uninjured by 6" of frost when unprotected on a south 

 wall. In addition to this, the ground and air foi- some distance 

 in front of the wall are warmer than in an oiicn situation, and 

 the crop close by it is a fortnight earlier, whilst that on the 

 rest of the border for a distance equal to the height of the wall 

 is earlier by ten days. 



The evils of a south wall, like the benefits, are great. The 

 bricks absorb the sun's heat so ra]udly as to become quite 

 warm during winter, and this warmth excites the bloom-buds 

 to swell and flower too early in the spring, and there is then a 

 danger of the fiuit suffering from spring frosts : hence it has 

 been found necessary to protect the trees with nets, branches 

 of trees, &c., by day, to prevent the bloom-buds swelling 

 during any bright weather that may happen in early spring ; 

 and after the blooms expand to protect them at night from 

 frost until the foliage becomes large enough to shield the fruit, 

 or until frosts are past. The first of these evils — namely, the 

 too early swelling of the bloom-buds, may he prevented to a 

 considerable extent by having wires to train the trees to at 

 about IJ inch from the wall, this being the only form of 

 trellis to be recommended. When fastened to the wall with 

 shreds and nails the trees are literally roasted at noon, the 

 buds swell much too early in spring, and the iniiling destroys 

 the face of the wall in a few years. Another evil is, that the 

 wall is exceedingly hot in summer, but the heat is lessened, 

 however, and does no great harm when the trees cover the 

 wall. The bricks, too, are continually absorbing and giving 

 out moisture. In di-y weather they rob the trees of moisture, 

 for they have a greater absorbing power than the leaves, and 

 attacks of red spider are encouraged, whilst in wet weather they 

 add to the wetness by remaining saturated, consequently we 

 )iave attacks of mildew. Bricks absorb heat and moisture more 

 rapidly than stone does. A dry brick w-ill take up a pint of 

 water, and be apparently dry, whilst from the surface of stone 

 moisture hangs in drojjs. Bricks, I may remark, do not heat 

 so quickly when covered with moss as when the surface is clean, 

 and stone is influenced in a like manner. I may state that 

 Peaches against a brick wall are some days earlier in ripening 

 than against a stone v.'all, and Apricots are earlier still. Some- 

 times walls are painted with boiling coal tar, which closes the 

 pores of the bricks, renders the wall hotter, and prevents the 

 absorption of moisture. I cannot aSinn that any benefit arises 

 from this, from a coating of tar painted white or stone colour 

 when dry, nor from whitewashing. There may be, but I have 

 not experienced any difference worth mention. There cainiot 

 be a doubt that washing walls with lime, soot, and sulphur, 

 mixed to the consistency of paint with boiling stale urine, de- 

 stroys the eggs of insects. I have always been puzzled to find 

 that Peach trees are the most infested with insects at the lower 

 parts of the walls, whilst at the upper part they are free, not 

 thr jugh the season, but at the first attacks. Green fly and red 

 spider always begin at the lower branches, and extend upwards. 

 Thus I have often noticed that the dwarfs were severely at- 

 tacked, whilst the standards or riders were free, and this more 

 especially for the first three or four years after planting. 



East walls are chiefly employed for Cherries and Plums. In 

 some instances I have known .\pricots answer pretty fairly, but 

 they are not to be depended upon. Cherries succeed fairly on 



east walls, better even than on western aspects. AVitli regaril 

 to Plums I I'annot say that they do well on east walls, but 

 fairly, tliough not so well as on a west wall. I'ears, too, da 

 not do so well on tliis as on a western aspect. 



A west wall is th<! second best aspect, and should be planted 

 with Pears, for they arc liable to set baiUy on an east wall, 

 when east winds prevail in spring, and they swell much better, 

 and arc never so gritty on a west aspect. Plums also succeed- 

 well. A west wall is never so nnu'.h subjected to the injurious 

 effects of the elements as an cast wall. The air is often very 

 cold and dry from the east, blights the trees, and does much 

 mischief to' the leaves, especially when these are young ; but 

 the west wall, on the contrary, is shielded from these evils„ 

 is wanner, and the wind it receives is more mild and huniid. 

 The trees are not so liable to have the bloom injured in spring 

 by cutting winds and the insects which these bring. The only 

 objection which I have to advance against west walls is, that; 

 the winds from that quarter are the strongest, and unless pro- 

 tected or sheltered by tribes at a distance, the fruit is apt to be 

 seriously bruised or blown off. 



East and west walls are not acted on by solar beat to the 

 same extent as south walls, consequently tliere is little danger 

 of the buds being excited too early in spring, and the blossom 

 being injured by spring frosts, against which the wall is usually 

 sufficient protection. The two aspects are about eepud as re-r 

 gards the crops on the borders ; but the east, being the drier, 

 is usually employed for herbs, and is, if anything, the earlier. 

 The west border is certainly better adapted for Turnips, Let- 

 tuces, and the like. The earliness of all the borders is best 

 tested by growing on all some of the same kind of crop. I 

 found Keens' Seedling Strawberries were gathered on a south 

 border on the l.'jth of .Tune ; on un cast one on the 24th ; on a. 

 west on the 28th ; and on a north on the Kith of July. I also 

 found that May Queen was gathered on the 28th of May on a. 

 south border, 'not further from the wall than 7 feet ; Black 

 Prince in a similar position on the 10th of .Tune ; and Keens.' 

 Seedlmg on the 1.5th of .Tune. I also found Keens' Seedling in 

 ! a bed 10 feet from a south wall was ripe on the 21st of June. 

 I Ash-leaved Kidney Potatoes close to a south wall were ready for 

 use on the 1st of June, at 1 feet from the wall on the 10th, ancT 

 at 10 feet from it on the 21st. Peas, again, sown on the 10th 

 of November, at 3 feet from a south wall, were fit for table on 

 the 7th, at 8 feet from the wall on the 18th, and sown at the- 

 same time on an east and west bin-der on the 28th of J.une, and 

 2nd of July respectively, whilst those on a north border did not 

 come in until July 18th. With these facts before us, and 

 many more that might be adduced, it is evident that walls have- 

 a protective and retarding power. Walls may not shelter a 

 garden, but they make some part of it warmer, and break the 

 force of the wind. 



North walls are the worst of all aspects for the gi-owth of 

 fruit. Morello Chen-ies, Currants, and Gooseberries, are the 

 fruits which succeed best upon them. I have seen north walls 

 planted with Plums, Cherries, Pears, and Apples, but the fruit 

 of the first was scanty, and that of the last two scantier still. 

 Cherries doing the best, and forming a good succession to those 

 on the other aspects. I have known Morello Clherries ke^vt 

 until a very late period, and Cui-rants matted up until the fall 

 of the leaf. For retarding Broccoli in early summer, and. 

 Turnips to come in with forced Carrots, to have Strawberries 

 late, and Currants and Gooseberries when those on the othci- 

 aspects are over, and for retarding many other crops, north 

 walls and borders are of great value. The most remarkable- 

 fact which I know in connection with north walls is, that if a. 

 Pear tree be planted on the south side and trained over the top- 

 and down the northern side, it will liear fnut equally well o-a 

 the north as on the southern aspect. I have known Plums 

 treated in the same manner, and with the same results, the- 

 fruit being some days lat>-r in ri]Hning, an<l I have been told of 

 the same result taking place in the case of an Apricot, but it 

 did not come under my own observation. 



Now as to the other aspects. A uoi'th-east aspect would grow 

 Cherries, Currants, and Gooseberries ; the north-west, Peais 

 of the hardier kinds, but not so well as a west wall ; the south- 

 east, Plums and Apricots ; and the south-west. Peaches and 

 Nectarines, but the more choice Pears much better. If there- 

 is any necessity for houses for Peaches and Nectarines, these- 

 aspects not being good enough, houses are the sure road to- 

 success. 



It seems to me, apart from all points not commercial, s 

 pity to cover any p.art of a garden wall with glass. I say this 

 guardctUy. 'Where there is no obstacle in the way to the erta- 



