COVERINGS SEIADING. 



143 



taken off in the morning. Many good crops are 

 secured by these simple means. Canvass curtains 

 fixed to the top of the wall, and drawn up or let down 

 wlien necessary, are also used ; but this material is 

 too thick for the purpose. The old custom of stick- 

 ing small twigs of yew, or other thin-leaved ever- 

 greens, between the branches and the wall, so as to 

 hang over the flowers, is a very good plan ; and as 

 they remain constantly, night and day, on the tree 

 till the fruit are fairly set, they are of great benefit as a 

 shelter from frost. There is yet another contrivance 

 which may be noticed, viz, iron supports are driven 

 in the wall beneath the coping, on which are fastened 

 thin boards, which, projecting over the whole tree, 

 protect the flowers from the perpendicular descent of 

 frosty air. 



But there is another object in using coverings for 

 early flowering trees, which the author particularly 

 recommends to the attention of young gardeners : it 

 is this — the delicacy of all early flowers, it is well 

 known, renders them liable to be destroyed by frost ; 

 but few people suspect that they are also subject to 

 be withered and killed by a hot sun : but this is 

 really the case, and therefore the flowers require 

 shading in the middle of the day, as much as they 

 need a covering on nights. This is a portion of the 

 gardener's duty which is too little practised, but 

 never should be forgotten. 



It is the rays of the sun too that is the destruction 

 of plants that become frost-bitten during the night. 

 For if such be allowed to thaw in the dark, no 



