276 Protecting the Stems of Fruit Trees. 



vol. i. p. 4-24.) has stated, that many circumstances had come 

 under his observation, which led him to believe, that when 

 great part of the well organised blossoms of fruit trees became 

 abortive, the failure might be attributed to some previous check 

 which the motion and operation of the vital fluid of the tree 

 had sustained, from the effects of frost in the early part of 

 spring. Among many others he instances the very luxuriant 

 growth of a common Chinese rose (Rosa indica) in his own 

 garden, the stem of which had been protected by an entwine- 

 ment of Irish ivy. Taking up this idea, I last April, just as the 

 blossom was about to expand, had the trunk and larger branches 

 of an apple tree in my garden (Wyker pippin) enveloped with 

 hay bands, leaving two other trees of the pippin kind, within a 

 few yards of the one on which the experiment was tried, to take 

 their chance without protection. The nights of the latter part 

 of April, and of the first ten days of May were remarkably 

 cold; a self-registering thermometer of my own, and one on 

 Six's principle under the observation of Mr. James Brown, 

 gardener to the Duke of Buckingham at Stowe, indicating, on 

 the night of April the 30th, a temperature 15° below freezing. 

 This degree of cold proved fatal to the whole of the blossom 

 of one of the unprotected trees, and nearly so to the other — 

 about a dozen of apples being the total of its produce. But 

 the protected tree seemed to be proof against the effect of the 

 frost; and I do not exaggerate when I say that the crop was 

 beyond all former precedent, and was the admhation of all 

 who saw it, many of the branches being literally loaded like 

 ropes of onions. 



I am not such an advocate of the post hoc propter hoc maxim, 

 as to think that there may be no fallacy in the conclusion, that 

 the produce was the result of the protection, but I am so satis- 

 fied of the correctness of the principle, that I shall in the 

 ensuing spring give the stems of my peach and nectarine trees 

 the benefit of a similar clothing. 1 have merely related the 

 experiment to induce others to repeat it ; and as it can be done 

 with very little trouble and no expence, I trust I shall be ex- 

 cused both by your readers and yourself for trespassing on 

 your pages, even if, on repetition, it should be less successful 

 than in the first instance. I am, Sir, yours, &c. 



Wm. Stowe. 

 Buckingham, Nov. 21. 1826. 



The plan adopted by our correspondent may be generally 

 applied with advantage. At Syon House, Mr. Forrest has 

 protected the stems of some half hardy shrubs in this manner. 



