PROTECTING WALL-TREES. 207 



to ripen the wood after the fruit is gathered. The flues are 

 never used in the spring. 



The advantages of this netting are very great. The walls at 

 Snelstone contain eight peach and eight nectarine trees. The 

 netting is fixed up and taken down in two or three hours, is set 

 up when the blossom cannot longer be kept back, and remains 

 permanently fixed, until taken down about the latter end of May, 

 when all danger from frost is over. The gardener can walk and 

 work under it, to nail or disbud the trees ; there are no blistered 

 leaves, and the first shoots always ripen their wood, insuring fruit 

 for the following year. Last year, upon these eight peach and 

 eight nectarine trees, there were ripened upwards of a thousand 

 dozen of fruit (at a small estimate), and there has not been less 

 in any year, since the mode of netting now described was used. 

 In the present year there is quite as good a crop, and the trees 

 are perfectly clean and healthy. The fruit underwent its first 

 thinning in the beginning of June, when of full-sized young fi'uit, 

 besides many not so large, there were taken off three hundred 

 dozen nectarines, and nine hundred and fifty-four dozen peaches ; 

 and a further thinning will be requisite after stoneing. 



It may be added that the woollen netting used by Mr. Harrison, 

 is purchased of Messrs. Weatherhead, Irongate, Derby. 



XV^T. — Ascertained effects of the winter of l85;)-4 upon 



EXOTICS CULTIVATED IN THE GARDENS, &C. OF GrEAT 



Britain. Compiled from various sources. 



The extensive injury sustained by exotic trees and other plants, 

 in consequence of the severity of the frost experienced in the winter 

 of 1853-4, has suggested the importance of collecting what informa- 

 tion upon the subject could be entirely relied upon. The succeed- 

 ing memoranda, partly obtained from direct communication, and 

 partly thi'ough the Gardeners' Chrouiclc (marked G. C.) will 

 probably be found to include the most material of the facts bear- 

 ing upon the question. Possibly in some cases the reporters may 

 have their plants under wrong names ; or, what is called death 

 from frost may be in truth ascribable to some other cause. It is 

 believed, however, that such sources of error, if they exist, will be 

 sufficiently checked by the number of observations made, and 



