FORCING GARDENS AT VERSAILLES, 



431 



Pig. 245. 



Section of protec- 

 tion used for Es- 

 palier Trees at 

 Versailles. 



top of the esjaalier^ so as to form a low span when covered 

 with rougli canvas. The sides are not covered, but the 

 protection at the top is sufficient to prevent 

 radiation, and to throw off heavy rains when 

 the trees are in bloom. If there is a wall 

 running at right angles with the lines of 

 espaliers, wires are stretched from it so as 

 to form a light support over each espalier ; 

 if not, a post is driven in so as to support 

 and stretch the wire in the firmest way. The 

 lower of these two lines Z^^^^^ may be sup- 

 posed to represent the top of the espalier, the upper a line 

 firmly supported at a few inches above it. Wires are also 

 stretched at each side of this, at about twenty inches from it, so 

 as to form the outline of a very low span-roof of strained wire. 

 It is a matter of little difficulty to stretch cheap canvas of some 

 kind over these wires, letting it be an inch or two narrower 

 than the breadth between the outer wires, so that it may be 

 strained tight, say a yard for the canvas, and two inches more 

 for the wires. The outer margins must of course be firmly 

 threaded to the outer wires with twine or any convenient 

 tying or rough sewing material. Here they simj)ly use 

 the stems of the glaucous or Hard 

 Rush (Juncus glaucus), which grows 

 wild all over Britain, and find it 

 answer admirably, A neat ridge is 

 then arranged over each line of espa- 

 liers, which throws off the rain and pre- 

 vents radiation, thereby saving the 

 bloom from frost and insuring a crop. 

 The protection is put up before the 

 buds are liable to be injured, and removed when the 

 fruit is set, and all danger has passed away. Thus a 

 very cheap and effective protection is secured. The old 

 trellising used for fruit growing in these gardens is 

 inferior compared to the new. The kinds of pears mostly 

 grown here are Easter Beurre, by which several walls 

 are covered; Duchesse d^Angouleme, of which there 

 is a square of trellising in all nearly 600 yards long, and 



Fig. 246. 



Side view of protection to 

 double line of Espaliers. 



