584 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



orchard in turf, the pretty incidents of the ground, and the 

 animal life among the trees in spring, as sheep in Kent, and the 

 interest of wild gardening in the grass. Also the orchard turf, 

 by its shade or shelter, or in some way, becomes most welcome nib- 

 bling for lambs and calves in the spring. A gain of the orchard in 

 turf is that we can plant it on any ground, however broken or steep, 

 and in many parts of the country there is much ground of this sort to 

 be planted. Now, while we may in the garden or the fruit garden 

 plant trees without stakes, we cannot do so in the grass orchard, 

 because of the incursions of animals ; therefore staking is needed, not 

 only to support the tall and strong young trees which we ought to 

 plant, but also to guard against various injuries. The best way is to 

 use very strong stakes and make them protect and support the trees, 

 and also carry the wire netting which is essential wherever rabbits, 

 hares, goats, or other browsing animals exist. The best way to do 

 this is to have a very stout stake^Larch or old Oak. Sometimes 

 in the repairing of old sheds a number of old oak rafters are 

 rejected — excellent for staking young trees in orchards, first 

 djcrging the hole and putting the stake firmly into a depth of 

 3 feet below the surface. Cradles of Oak and iron are much 

 in use ; the first is very well in an Oak country where labour is 

 plentiful ; iron is costly and ugly, and not so good as the single stout 

 stake, which is easy to get of Larch or stub Oak in many country 

 places. The common way of tying a faggot of Quicks or any thorny 

 shrub is often good when done by a good fencer. The trees should 

 be tied with care with soft ropes of straw or jute, and when 

 planted be loosely but carefully wired with netting well out of the 

 reach of browsing animals. This wiring is supported well by the 

 strong stake, and, well done, it keeps rabbits and hares, as well as 

 cattle, at bay, and, worse than all for trees, young horses. A usual 

 way in Kent is to drive in three stout stakes, 6 feet or more in height, 

 round the tree, and fasten cross-bars to them. This can be done at a 

 total cost of about \od. a tree, and should last twelve to fifteen years. 

 One of the reasons for a good orchard, from the point of view of 

 all who care for beauty, is its value for wild gardening. It is so well 

 fitted for this, that many times Narcissi and 

 The Orchard Wild other bulbs from the garden have even established 

 Garden. themselves in its turf, so that long years after 



the culture of the flowers has been given up 

 in the garden, owing to changes of fashion, people have been able 

 in old orchards to find naturalised some of the most beautiful 

 kinds of Narcissi. Where the soil is cool and deep, these flowers 

 are easily grown, and in warm soils many of our hardiest and most 

 beautiful spring flowers might easily be naturalised. On the cool 



