194 



THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



over or in front of trees in blossom will prevent the deposition of dew ; a shelter of 

 netting, or even the sprays of evergreen, are of greater service against brisk, cutting 

 wind. 



Woollen materials, such as worsted netting or frigi domo, are preferable to hempen 

 substances, such as scrim canvas or brown hessian, because the former are much 

 slower cold-conducting mediums; neither is it unimportant at what distance the 

 material is placed from the blossom, it having been found in practice that a shelter 

 is most beneficial when from 3 to 6 inches from the trees than when in immediate 



Fig. 51. PROTECTING BLOSSOM FROM FROST. 



References : f, protection of wall trees with wood coping, poles and canvas : 1, board, 14 inches wide ; 2 > iron 

 bracket ; 3, pole, 2 inches square, g, glazed projecting coping : 4, projection, 2^ feet ; 5, iron bracket ; 6, f -inch iron tube. 

 h, pole and canvas shelter. *, hay or straw bands stretched across poles. _;', Eivers system of protecting pyramid trees 

 with tiffany wound round stakes, leaving opening at top and bottom for air, as indicated by the arrows, k, protecting 

 with thatched hurdles : 7, stake ; 8, 8, hurdles ; 9, espalier. 



contact with their surfaces. Some approved methods of protecting blossom are 

 represented in Fig. 51. 



Projecting wall copings and eaves of buildings afford valuable shelter to blossoms. 

 Eadiation from wall surfaces is, through their agency, lessened, and the trees are kept 

 drier, which favourably assists resistance to cold ; but substances that obstruct light 

 should only be temporarily used as protectors. A J-inch board, 11 inches wide, fixed 

 immediately under the wall coping to iron brackets slightly inclining outwards, 

 answers for a wall of 10 feet or under; one 14 inches wide is excellent for a wall 12 

 feet or more in height, and, with netting or canvas in front of the trees, kept at 



