CHAP. V VILLA GARDENING 265 



been found of service, placed at right angles across the border. I 

 have seen evergreen hedges used in the same way. Trees suffering 

 from ciu-1 or blister (and I may say that the bhster I am referring 

 to is not the curl which comes later on, when the trees are attacked 

 with insects) should have the bad leaves picked off, and be en- 

 couraged in every way to make more growth. 



Teansplanting Large Trees. — No other kind of fruit trees 

 move with so little injury as the Peach does. The largest-sized 

 ones may be moved without the loss of a crop if the work be done 

 at the right time (autumn) and with care. I am persuaded that 

 if the trees were oftener lifted, and if at each removal they had 

 fresh soil placed round their roots, there would be fewer failures 

 than at present. When a tree is in bad health lift it care- 

 fully up, obtain some turfy loam and place round the roots, laying 

 them within 9 inches of the surface ; and when hot weather sets 

 in, give a coating of manure to keep the sm'face moist and en- 

 com-age the roots to remain there. No observant fruit-grower 

 requires to be told that short-jointed freely-flowering wood can- 

 not be obtained from deep rooting — in foct the deep roots are 

 of no use to wall trees, as they need no anchors to fasten them 

 in the ground, and only encourage the production of watery sprays, 

 which have to be cut away. 



Protecting the Blossoms. — For more than twenty years I 

 have been in various ways protecting the blossoms of fruit trees, 

 and if I were beginning afresh now, with the accumulated ex- 

 perience of the past to guide me, I should have more faith in 

 feathery sprays of Yew, or the common brake Fern, placed in 

 among the blossoms, with a double thickness of fishing-net over 

 all, than in the use of expensive nets or curtains. Twenty or 

 more years ago I had a number of these appliances, but as they 

 wore out they were never replaced, for we had lost faith in tliem. 

 Healthy and vigorous trees seem to require less protection than 

 weakly ones, therefore our chief eftbrts should be directed to the 

 attainment of the former, and the work of protection will be much 

 lightened ; such, at least, has been my own experience. Glass, in 

 any form, may be recommended, either as wide movable copings, 

 or in lean-to or si)an-roofed houses ; especially is it desirable in 

 bleak situations. There will always remain a considerable number 

 of trees where some simple form of protection (and the simpler the 

 better) can only be given ; and there is no better way than the 

 one I have suggested, of sprays of Yew or Fern tucked under the 

 branches so as to shelter the blossoms, with double netting over 

 to keep off the cold storms and prevent the sprays of Yew 

 becoming loose and blowing away. 



