HOME GARDENS FOR SMOKY TOWNS. 365 



offer prizes for. He hoped in a short time, when that 

 Society had passed through a crisis which was impending, 

 it might emerge in a condition to devote attention to this 

 matter. It already offered prizes for small suburban flower- 

 shows, but had not yet turned its attention to the larger 

 class aimed at by Mr. Williams. 



Mr. Botly said he had forgotten to mention that he had 

 a friend, a very excellent gardener, who always loosened his 

 fruit trees from the wall for about three weeks before the 

 time of blooming. The consequence was, they did not get 

 so much heat from the wall, and the bloom was two 

 or three weeks later in forming. After the spring frosts, 

 the trees were again nailed up close, and he never failed 

 in getting an excellent crop, when his neighbors often had 

 none. 



Mr. Trewby wished to caution those who read the paper 

 against using what was commonly known as paperhangers' 

 canvas, because it was made of two materials, hemp and 

 jute, and if a piece of it were put into water it Avould soon 

 be nothing but a lot of strings, the jute being all dissolved. 

 It did very well for paper-hanging, but would be quite 

 unsuitable for this purpose.* 



The vote of thanks having been passed 



Mr. Williams, in reply, said he had had a piece of this 

 canvas stretched on a frame exposed all the winter, and the 

 only result was to make it rather dirty. He stretched it as 

 tightly as he could in putting it on, but when it got wet it 

 became still more tight, and gave a little again on becoming 

 dry. It bore the weight of the snow which had fallen very 

 well, and two or three spadefuls had been added to try it. 

 He had a note from Mr. Prim, saying that at the Houses 

 of Parliament the screens last about two sessions, being 

 washed once a week, and the destruction is due to the 

 wringing. But there is really no occasion for this, for if 



* I have followed up Mr. Trewby's hint, and find that more than 

 one quality of scrim is made. The best, made entirely of flax, costs 

 rather more than the 2rf. stated iu the estimate, but it is the cheapest 

 practically. The best I have seen is that used in the Houses of 

 Parliament. 



