378 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



materials which are often abundant in a country place. Among the 

 best of these, where plentiful, is the common Furze, if cut down in 

 spring and placed over the ground round the base of young or poor 

 orchard trees. It prevents the grass from robbing the trees and lets 

 the water fall through to the ground, helping to keep it there, too, by pre- 

 venting direct evaporation ; moreover, the small leaves falling off nourish 

 the ground. So again the sweepings of drives and of farm or garden 

 yards are useful, and also any small faggots — often allowed to rot in 

 the woods after the underwood is cleared. Then also there are the 

 weeds and refuse of gardens of all kinds which form detestable 

 rubbish heaps that would be much better abolished, and all cleanings 

 from the garden placed directly over the roots of young orchard trees. 



Even rank weeds, which swarm about yards and shrubberies, would 

 help, and one of the best ways to weaken them and help towards 

 their destruction is by mowing them down in the pride of their 

 growth in the middle of summer — nettles and docks, as the case may 

 be — and instead of burning them or taking them to the rubbish heap 

 use them over the tree roots. Even the weeds and long grass grow- 

 ing round the base of the trees, if mown and left on the ground, will 

 make a difference in the growth and health of fruit trees. Such care 

 is all the more needed if our orchard is upon poor or shaly soils in the 

 dryer counties : in naturally rich and deep soil we need it less. 



All fences should be of living things, at once the most enduring, 



effective, and in the end the best. We see the hideous result of the 



ironmonger's fence in marring the foregrounds of 



Fencing the many landscape pictures. Holly, Quick, or Cock- 



Orchard Beautiful, spur Thorn, with a sprinkling of Sloe or Bullace 

 here and there, give us the best orchard fence ; 

 once well made, far easier to keep up than the iron fence. Yew 

 is a danger, and a hedge of it should never be planted where 

 animals come near, as they usually do, the orchard, and if the 

 Yew comes by itself, as it often will, it should be cut clean out 

 and burnt as soon as cut down. Holly is the best evergreen orchard 

 fence for our country, and we should be careful about getting the 

 plants direct from a good nursery — clean seedling plants not much 

 over a yard high. The best time to plant Hollies is in May if growing 

 in the place, but on light soil plant in autumn ; all the more need to 

 do this if we bring the plants by rail. Unless the soil is very light I 

 should make the fence on a bank, because a turf bank is itself such a 

 good fence to begin with, and a free Holly hedge on a good bank, 

 with, perhaps, a Sloe here and there through it, is one of the prettiest 

 sights of the land, and forms the best of shelters for an orchard in our 

 country. Where shelter is much sought the hedge should not be 

 clipped, and is much handsomer if free grown. The orchard fence should 



