268 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



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 preventing 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 yard 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 growing 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. 



For fences living things are at once the most enduring, effective, 

 and in the end the best. We see the hideous result of the iron- 

 monger's fence in marring the foregrounds of 



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

 orchard. * 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, l^nless 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 



