Chap. XXI.] THE PEACH-GAEDENS OF MONTREUIL. 



355 



danger of removal by winds. The cold rains which occur 

 during the several months while the trees are in bud and flower 

 and the young shoots and newly-formed fruit tender, run off 

 the plaster coping on to the temporary one, and from it quite 

 beyond the trees ; while frost is effectually prevented from doing 

 serious harm by the same means. 



To suppose that this protection is merely necessary for the 

 flowers and to secure fruit, is a 

 fallacy ; a little temporary coping 

 is improvised here even over quite 

 young trees without a fruit on 

 them, simply to guard their 

 leaves in spring from the maladies 

 consequent upon the extreme cold 

 and many vicissitudes of the 

 French climate at that season. 

 This extemporised coping is 

 simply formed by placing little 

 wooden brackets against the wall 

 at about four feet from the ground, 

 and placing thereon a thin rough 

 board. Such a practice is not 

 known in England, where there 

 is of course quite as much 

 necessity for it. The effect of 

 the sun on the stem and larger 

 branches of the tree is also guarded 

 against, pieces of bark or boards 

 being placed before the short bole 

 or base of the tree, the main 

 branches on the upper parts 

 being carefully shaded by train- 

 ing over them the young branches of the current year's wood. 



Black marks are traced on the white walls to show the lines 

 which the main branches of the trees are to follow. In some 

 cases they are quite simple vertical or horizontal lines, according 

 as the form to be attained may require ; in other places they form 

 initial letters, flourishes, and other ornamental sluii)cs ; for though 

 the cultivator generally prefers simple and dotiuitc forms, he is 



Second Pruning of Fruiting Peach-branch. F is 

 cut at D al'ove two wooJ-buds to furnish shoots 

 /or the /ollowing year; B remains to carry 

 the fruit, and the slwot is cut at A . Cut E 

 would only be applied if shoot B did not bear 

 flower buds. 



