138 THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN 



Murrell, asked my advice about protecting it with 

 glass ; and acting upon it with his own adaptation, has 

 succeeded, every season since its erection, in securing 

 fine crops of fruit of superior flavour. The following 

 is a description of this simple structure : — 



At the top of the wall, which is 12 feet high, is 

 nailed a plate for the ends of the rafters to rest on ; 

 4 feet 6 iuches from the wall is a row of posts, 6 inches 

 by 4 (these should be of oak), 6 feet apart, and 3 feet 

 6 inches in height from the ground ; on these is nailed 

 a plate to receive the lower ends of the rafters ; the 

 latter are 8 feet long, 3 inches by 1^, and 20 inches 

 asunder; and the glass employed is 16-oz. sheet, 20 

 inches by 12. Every fourth square of glass at the top 

 next the wall is fixed into a slight frame of wood with 

 a hinge at the top of each, and made to open all at 

 once by a line running on a wheel; the front is of 

 |-inch deal boards nailed to the posts, one of which, one 

 foot wide, near the top, is on hinges, forming a drop 

 shutter the whole length of the front. Now comes 

 the management by which red spider, the deadly foe 

 of the peach tree, is discomfited ; and let me quote 

 Mr. Murrell : — 



' All these ventilators, back and front, I leave open 

 day and night after May, except in very wet and rough 

 weather. The first season I had the red spider (it was 

 in the walls), but the fruit was of the highest flavour; 

 the second season the fruit was very fine, and the 

 spiders never came, I believe owing entirely to my 



