THE PEACH GARDENS OF MONTREUIL. 461 



and the only hope is that^ by the cropping of the borders as 

 elsewhere suggested,, gardeners generally may find it worth 

 while to devote more attention to walls than they usually do. 



I think it a matter for regret that public attention has 

 been to some extent called away from the many uses and 

 advantages of walls in our climate, and that we have made 

 no progress in protecting or managing wall trees corre- 

 sponding with our advances in other respects. Some persons 

 have gone so far as to say that garden walls ought to be 

 abolished altogether. One cannot believe that such people 

 can ever have seen the excellent results produced by well- 

 managed garden walls — results as beautiful as profitable. 

 "Why, even if we could erect glass-houses by the economical 

 aid of a magic wand, the good fruit-grower would still find 

 uses for a large extent of wall surface. As things are at 

 present, all should aim at greater success in the protec- 

 tion and management of wall trees — a thoroughly practical 

 and attainable aim. Our chief want of success now is due to 

 not preserving the flowers and tender young leaves from 

 the sleet, cold rains, and frost, during the cold and change- 

 able spring common to northern France and the British 

 Isles. 



