30 



THE AMERICAN GARDENER. 



[Chap. 



cessary, in the way of protection against two-legged 

 intruders, is intended chiefly to afl;*ord the means of 

 raising the frnit of Peaches^ Nectarines^ Apricots^ 

 and Vines, which cannot, in England, be brought 

 to perfection without walls to train them against; 

 for, though the trees will all grow very well, and 

 though a small sort of Apricots will sometimes 

 ripen their fruit away from a wall, these fruits can- 

 not, to any extent, be obtained, in England, nor the 

 Peaches and Nectarines, even in France, north of 

 the middle ol that country, without the aid of walls. 

 Hence, in England, Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, 

 and Grapes, are called Wall-Fruit. Cherries, 

 Plums, and Pears, are also very frequently placed 

 against walls ; and they are always the finer for it ; 

 but, a wall is indispensably necessary to the four 

 former. 



33. In America a fence is not wanted for this pur- 

 pose ; but it is very necessary for protection ; for 

 shelter ; and for shade. As to the first, gardeners 

 may scold as long as they please, and law-makers 

 may enact as long as they please, mankind never 

 will look upon taking fruit in an orchard or a gar- 

 den diS felony nor even as trespass. Besides, there 

 are, in all countries, such things as boys ; and every 

 man remembers, if he be not very forgetful, that he 

 himself was once a boy. So that, if you have a 

 mind to have for your own use what you grow in 

 your garden, the only efl^ectual security is an insur- 

 mountable fence. This prevents the existence of 

 temptation, in all cases dangerous, and particularly 

 in that of forbidden fruit : therefore ihe matter re- 

 duces itself to this very simple alternative : share 

 the produce of your garden good-humouredly with 

 the boys of the whole neighbourhood ; or, keep it 

 for your own use by a fence which they cannot get 



