Notices of Communications to the Society, tyc. 109 



portion of its surface covered with the oil of the ink, it does 

 not readily imbibe moisture. To allow full time for ripening 

 the wood, Mr. Swayne does not cover the branches till 

 the month of December, unless the weather threatens to be 

 frosty. The most expeditious mode of applying the paper is 

 by winding long stripes round the branches, in the manner 

 in which surgeons do their bandages, making the paper 

 reach as far as possible, without leaving any part uncovered, 

 and giving it a twist on the end, to fix it. As soon as the 

 branch has been papered, it is attached to the wall with 

 shreds in two places, one at the commencement of the paper, 

 and the other near the end. Towards the latter end of April, 

 when the young fruits are swelling, the covering is removed, 

 taking care to do so on a mild but cloudy day, that the change 

 may not be too great from their covered state to that of expo- 

 sure. If the Fig trees have not been previously pruned, to 

 save unnecessary labour, such branches only as are intended 

 to be left for fruiting need be covered. 



The Rev. William Phelps, of Mellifont Abbey, near 

 Wells, Somersetshire, communicated to the Meeting, on the 

 5th of February, directions for protecting wall trees from the 

 effects of frost, by constructing broad ladders, resembling 

 hurdles, of a length sufficient to reach to the top of the wall 

 when placed obliquely against it, three feet distant at the 

 bottom, and of a width not exceeding six feet, in order that 

 they may be more portable. The rounds of the ladder, which 

 are eighteen inches apart, are wrapped with straw or hay- 

 bands, or with refuse flax, or hemp dressings. The annexed 



