NOVEMBER. 501 



character of the climate in exposed and apparently the most 

 unfavorable localities. 



So many instances of the importance of shelter, in the 

 growth of both trees and plants, are constantly occurring, that it 

 seems quite unnecessary to alhide to them. The original 

 walled garden was the first attempt to accomplish anything 

 in this way ; and subsequently the less expensive, and also 

 less sure plan of palings and hedges. In many cases planta- 

 tions of trees have been made, but not so often with a view 

 to favor the kitchen garden or orchard as to produce some 

 ornamental elFect. In England, with the cloudy sky and 

 repeated rains of that climate, walled gardens are essential to 

 the successful growth of many fruits, by accumulating or 

 concentrating the sun's rays ; but we have supposed our own 

 sunny climate needed no such aid to accomplish similar results ; 

 with few exceptions they do not, and because it is usually 

 unnecessary we have erred in forgetting, that while garden 

 walls were of little use, as a source of retaining heat, the 

 shelter they afforded was of the utmost consequence, and the 

 want of them, in some localities, in the absence of any other 

 protection, has frequently prevented the successful production 

 of some of the best fruits. 



All who are conversant with the progress of arboricultural 

 art in Great Britain, are well aware of the necessity of protection 

 to what we consider one of the hardiest of all trees, the oak ; 

 and that no plantation is completely successful which does 

 nothave.it. For a time the opinions of planters were di- 

 vided in this respect, but when government undertook the 

 planting of the Royal Forests of 40,000 acres, the experiment 

 was fully tried, and with decided results in favor of shelter, 

 as the following report by the government commission shows : 

 "Accordingly, in the most favorable soils and situations, oaks 

 only were planted at first ; but in spots where it was thought 

 doubtful if oaks would grow, Scotch pines were planted with 

 a small proportion of oaks intermixed ; and it was soon found 

 that in many of these spots, even under the disadvantage 

 of inferior soil and greater exposure, such was the benefit 

 derived from the warmth and shelter of the pines, that the 



