Protectiny Fruit Trees against IValls. 369 



Art. IV. On protecting Fruit Trees against Walls. By N. M. T. 



During your journey through Scothmd, as detailed iu the Gardener's Maga- 

 zine, I find a paragraph censuruig the Scotch generally for not affording their 

 fruit trees adequate protection while in bloom. I made a memorandum of the 

 said paragraph at the time ; and, after another year's experience, I would ask, 

 Are you certain that protection, even the most popular sort of protection, 

 confers the benefits imagined ? or, rather, is it not a positive injury ? These 

 questions must appear very foolish to the mass of practitioners : a few 3'ears 

 ago to me they would have appeared superlatively so ; but my views are now 

 changed, and it will not be a trifle that will restore the reputation of such pro- 

 tection to the place it held in my estimation. Some occurrences make a 

 deeper impression than others of equal import, from the circumstances which 

 attend them. This was particularly the case with regard to the experiments 

 about to be detailed ; and if, by any possibility, I can avoid being too prolix, 

 I will detail those circumstances, as the best means of rendering the care 

 with which the experiments were performed apparent, which may, I hope, 

 induce others to repeat them, as the subject is of much importance. 



In 1839, the trees under my care being in a most exposed situation, and 

 altogether unprotected, I prevailed upon my employer to allow me to procure 

 enough of the most approved material to sufficiently protect the whole 

 against the coming spring. Cow-hair netting was at the time being adver- 

 tised, strongly (and I still think justly) recommended as possessing most of 

 the qualities requisite for such a purpose. This sort was determined upon, 

 and purchased accordingly. The material highly pleased me ; and, not content 

 with doing well (as I fancied) mj'self, I used my utmost endeavours to per- 

 suade others to do likewise, and in several cases succeeded. But a near 

 neighbour stoutly resisted all arguments that could be brought to bear on the 

 subject : I might talk of the blighting influence of cutting winds and hoar- 

 frosts until I was hoarse ; he remained obstinate, declaring that he had no 

 doubt of his crops being as good as mine ; and, if they were not, he would not 

 impute the blame to want of protection. Consequently I gave him up as 

 impracticable, setting him down (as mankind generally do those opposed to 

 them in matters of opinion) as steeped in the most pitiable ignorance ; to 

 remove which, I begged him to watch tiie progress, and mark the result, of 

 the practice which I (following the best practical authoiities, the fruitful 

 source of so many errors) so strongly recommended ; and concluded with a 

 wish that the coming spring might be such as would, by its severity, test the 

 merits of the appliance. In this I was amplj' accommodated ; the spring was 

 such that, in this quarter at least, it will be remembered by fruit-growers ; 

 and, during the continuance of the boisterous, chilling, east winds that then 

 proved so destructive to the bloom, if I did not feel half-pleased (which I 

 am afraid I did) to think that my friend's trees were exposed to its unmiti- 

 gated severity, I was highly gratified to think mine were snug beneath their 

 truly comfortable-looking covering. The walls here are supported by but- 

 tresses, projecting a foot bej'ond the wall at bottom, and tapering to nothing 

 at top ; into these strong iron eyes are fixed, through which three strong 

 wires were stretched at equal distances, to which the netting was securely 

 fastened, fully extended, presenting a formidable array of bristles, yet withal 

 obstructing so little light, from the material itself being half-transparent, that 

 we deemed their removal at any time unnecessary. 



For a long time all seemed to do well ; the bloom was splendid ; certainly 

 finer than that unprotected ; but, when the fruit ought to have swelled off, all 

 dropped, and the failure was complete. That what is meant by complete failure 

 may be properly understood, I may state that there were not three dozen 

 fruit upon 500 square yards of wail. A most striking proof of the injury 

 done by covering so applied was accidentally furnished upon a wall against 



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