PROTECTING BLOOM. 



93 



fecundation has been effected, no fruit need 

 be expected at such blossoms,) and the wall 

 be flued, a little fire heat must be applied. 

 In the application of this, very great care is 

 requisite. The fire should be lighted so early 

 in the afternoon, that the wall may be at a 

 proper degree of heat by seven o'clock at 

 night. That part of the wall above the 

 trellis to be at a proper heat, should be a 

 little more than new milk warm, this will 

 not be injurious to the trees, but will be quite 

 sufficient to preserve the bloom under the 

 nets. At that part of the wall where the 

 trellis is fixed, it may be allowed to be a 

 little hotter; this will indeed always be found 

 the case, in order to get the wall to a proper 

 heat above the trellis. It is a very difficult 

 thing to use fire heat early in spring when 

 there is no covering to the trees, for the de- 

 gree of heat necessary in such a case to pre- 

 serve the bloom would be injurious to the 

 wood. I therefore never apply fire heat 

 early in spring without having some cover- 

 ing over the trees. But it may be used for 

 a day or two late in spring without any out- 

 ward covering, the weather being generally 

 less severe at that time. 



When I consider the weather is so tem- 

 terate that no ill effects from frost or cold 

 winds are likely to be sustained, I remove 

 the nets, always chusing a dry day for the 



