92 



PROTECTING BLOOM. 



The trees which I protect in this manner 

 are those against a south wall, particularly 

 Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot trees, which 

 require such help; because the sun acting 

 for a longer time, and with greater influence 

 in the early part of spring upon this aspect 

 than upon the others, the trees are brought 

 into bloom earlier, (and the earlier in the 

 season the stronger the frosts generally are) 

 than those on the other aspects are, and 

 therefore require a protection. But as those 

 trees on the other aspect do not bloom till 

 later in the spring, when the weather is 

 generally more mild, such a covering may 

 be dispensed with, and other means em- 

 ployed in lieu of it. If there comes a few 

 days of strong frost late in the spring, when 

 such trees are in bloom, and the walls be 

 flued, a little fire heat may be given to pre- 

 vent any injury from it, or they may be 

 watered early in the morning after a frosty 

 night, as will be hereafter directed. 



In placing the nets over those trees which 

 require it, I fix them up, if the weather be 

 severe, a few days before the blossom begins 

 to open, after they have been placed over 

 them for a week or two, most of the bloom 

 will generally be expanded, if the frost be 

 severe at that time so that danger from it is 

 apprehended, (as the stamina and pistillum 

 are very susceptable of injury from frost; 

 consequently when they get damaged before 



