22i THE FRUIT GARDEN. [aPRIL* 



buds and spurs often sticking out bei/ond the net ; 

 wliicli of course miL^it as well be at sea a-fishins:* 

 Instead of bcina; liung on in so unmeaning a manner, 

 they slioidd be placed out, at the distance of fifteen 

 or eighteen inches from the tree ; being kept off by 

 hooked sticks, with their butts placed against the 

 wall, and at the distance of about a yard from each 

 other. In order to make these stand firmly, the net 

 should be first stretched tightly on, and be fastened 

 on all sides. By farther stretching it, to the extent of 

 fifteen or eighteen inches, over the hooked ends of 

 the sticks, it will be rendered so firm, that no wind 

 will displace it; and the sticks wall also be made quite 

 fast at the same time. If the nets were doubled, or 

 trebled, and put on in this way, they would be the 

 more effectual a screen, as the meshes or openings 

 would, in that case, be rendered very small. 



I shall here mention a sort of net, made on pur- 

 pose for screening their brother's wall-trees, by two 

 ladies in Perthshire, which, both for invention and 

 execution, does them great credit. They had read 

 my Fruit Gardener, in which notice is taken of the 

 above method of doubling the nets, and setting them 

 out with sticks ; on which they at once improved, 

 and imitated a substitute for the kind of thin canvas 

 mentioned above. 



The net was made of coarse woollen yarn, and 

 Wove very tliick ; the meshes not being larger than 

 would admit the point of tlie finger, even when 

 fully strctclicd out. The propriety of this choice 

 cf wool, instead of flax, is evident; as every mesh, 

 made thus small, was in cfiect rendered much small- 



