270 TIIK 1\\1;KS AXI^ CJAltDEXS OF PARIS. [Chap. XVIT. 



with straif^ht straw, tied with willow twigs. Neatly clone, 

 it seems better than the commoner plan of placing slates 

 or boards before them. Brackets to support straw mats in 

 spring are placed on every wall at a little more than a yard 

 apart. 



There are a great many old and worn-out trees in the garden 

 which have a bad effect on its appearance here and there, but 

 many promising improvements are being carried out as far as 

 the funds afforded to the school will allow. The Pear makes 

 as strong a growth here as in Britain, though some of our growers 

 say that a more fruitful kind of wood is formed in the fine climate 

 of France. 



For some years past M. Hardy has carried out a novel system 

 of protecting espalier-trees. The plan is simply to strain lines 



. of galvanised wire above the top of the 



_ ':'- .^ ^ espalier, so as to form a low-span roof when 



covered with rough canvas. The sides 

 are not covered, but the protection at the 

 top is sufficient to prevent radiation, and 

 Side view o/prottxtiou to to tlirow off heavy rains when the trees are 



double line of Espaliers. • i i Ti> j^i • ii • , 



in bloom. It there is a wail running at 

 right angles with the lines of espaliers, wires are stretched from 

 it so as to form a light support over each espalier ; if not, a post 

 is driven in so as to support and stretch the wire in the firmest 

 way. The lower of these two lines may be supposed 



to represent the top of the espalier, the upper a line firmly 

 supported at a few inches above it. Wires are also stretched 

 at each side of this, at about twenty inches from it, so as to form 

 the outline of a very low-span roof. It is a matter of little 

 difficulty to stretch canvas over these wires, letting it be an 

 inch or two narrower than the breadth between the outer wires, 

 so that it may be strained tight. The outer margins must 

 of course be firmly threaded to the outer wires with twine or 

 any convenient tying or rough sewing material. Here they 

 simply use the stems of the glaucous or hard Bush (Juucus 

 glaucus), which grows wild all over Britain, and find it answer 

 admirably. A neat ridge is thus arranged over each line of 

 espaliers, Avhich throws oil' the rain and prevents radiation, 

 thereby saving the bloom from frost iind insuring a croj). The 



