Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 425 



tages may be derived from protecting the stems or larger branches 

 of fruit trees, as far as practicable, from frost in spring." 



In support of this conclusion, Mr. Knight refers to an apple 

 tree, which having had its stem and part of its larger branches 

 covered with evergreen trees, had borne a succession of crops 

 of fruit ; whilst other trees of the same variety, and growing 

 contiguously in the same soil, but without having had their 

 stems protected, had been wholly unproductive; and to a 

 nectarine tree, which having sprung up from a seed accident- 

 ally in a plantation of laurels, had borne, as a standard tree, 

 three successive crops of fruit. The possessor of the nectarine 

 tree, with the intention of promoting its growth and health, 

 cut away the laurel branches which surrounded its stem in the 

 winter of 1 823-4, and in the succeeding season not a single 

 fruit was produced. 



" Never having known an instance of a standard nectarine tree 

 bearing fruit in a climate so unfavourable, I was led to expect 

 that the variety possessed an extraordinary degree of hardiness : 

 but having inserted some buds of it into bearing branches upon 

 the walls of my garden at Downton, in the autumn of 1822, I have 

 not had any reason to believe that its blossoms are at all more 

 patient of cold than those of other seedling varieties of the nec- 

 tarine." 



A China rose, sheltered by the stem of a plant of Irish ivy, 

 grew and flowered with more than common vigour ; and Mr. 

 Knight suggests, that as the ivy, when it has acquired a con- 

 siderable age, and produced fruit-bearing branches, exhibits an 

 independent form of growth, which these branches retain when 

 detached, if these were intermixed with plants of the more de- 

 licate varieties of the Chinese rose, or other low deciduous and 

 somewhat tender flowering shrubs, so that the stems of the 

 latter would be covered in the winter, whilst their foliage would 

 be fully exposed to the light in summer, it is probable that 

 these might be successfully cultivated in situations where they 

 would perish without such protection : and the evergreen 

 foliage of the ivy plants in winter would be generally thought 

 ornamental. Detached fruit-bearing branches of ivy readily 

 emit roots, and the requisite kind of plants would therefore be 

 easily obtained. 



As a farther experiment with reference to Mr. Knight's 

 reasoning, we would suggest to such as have lately planted an 

 orchard of standard trees, to clothe the stems and principal 

 branches of half of them, during the months of March, April, 

 and May, with loose bands of straw, and to observe the effects 

 in comparison with the other half. 



