114 MY GROWING GARDEN 



upon a simple wire trellis, about three feet high. 

 In the Maytime, the blackberry row, which runs 

 close to the barberry hedge, was, as I have pic- 

 tured previously, a mass of white blossoms quite 

 as decorative as anything planted primarily for 

 decoration; and these great clusters of ripening 

 fruit, set about with luxuriant fohage, now give a 

 more colorful decoration. 



The young bunches of grapes need bagging 

 attention before mid-July. Each year convinces 

 more completely of the value of inserting the cluster 

 of httle green globes into a grocer's two-pound bag, 

 which is torn down at the top about an inch in two 

 places, folded carefully over the bunch-carrying 

 twig, and then pinned fast with two pins — ^brass 

 pins if you are likely to get temper-ruffled at the 

 prick of a rusty iron pin in the fall. The grapes are 

 thus protected against bugs, birds and bipeds, 

 at least partially; and they ripen more completely, 

 have thinner skin, sweeter juice, and will keep 

 many weeks longer. 



The apricot tree, carefully sprayed, has given 

 us some fine fruit this month, and that incidental 

 mulberry has begun its rather long tour of fruit- 

 ing duty. It has the pleasant way of ripening its 

 berries in succession, so that about any time for a 

 month I may be sure of finding them within reach 



