22 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN. 



protector than old or new netting ; if woolen, all the 

 better. This should be thrown over the trees two or 

 three times thick, and suffered to remain on till the 

 fruit is safe from frosts i. e., till the end of May. 



Houses built with stakes or slight timber, and the 

 roofs and sides covered with tiffany, have very re- 

 cently been introduced and found efficient in protect- 

 ing half-hardy plants from severe frost. 



I now propose to erect temporary houses of the 

 same materials to protect dwarf and pyramidal fruit 

 trees while they are in bloom, and I have no doubt 

 but that they will lead to a new era in fruit garden- 

 ing among amateurs, offering as they do a very cheap 

 method of protection. A border or bed of fruit trees 

 may be eight feet wide and planted with three rows 

 of bush fruit trees as shown in the above section, one 

 row in the centre, and the other rows three feet from 

 it, and the trees three feet apart in the rows, thus oc- 

 cupying six feet of the bed. 



A tiffany-house to cover the trees in a bed of the 

 above width may be eight feet wide, three feet high 

 at the sides, and five high in the centre. 



The roof of tiffany should be fastened to the rafters 

 with shreds three or four times double, so as to make 

 a thick pad, and either nailed on with short nails or 

 fastened with screws, so that it may be easily taken to 

 pieces annually the first week in June, for till then 

 we are not safe from spring frosts. The tiffany-house 

 should be placed over the trees the first week in 

 March, unless the season be unusually early, when the 

 middle of February would be better. The sides should 

 be loose, and be turned up night and day in mild 



