MOVEABLE SCKEENS FOR WALL-FRUIT TREES. 
345 
the wall, the bottom of these borders is kept as high as the general level of the surrounding 
surface, and it inclines about a foot from back to front. The bottom is formed by concreting 
over a layer of rubble, but we find in practice that a stratum, equally impervious to the 
roots of fruit-trees, is made by common cinder-ashes, moistened with water and beaten solid. 
At the front of the 5-feet border is a gravel walk, two feet wide, which, besides facilitating 
our access to the fruit-trees, answers the purpose of a drain to the border. 
In furnishing these walls with the canvas skreens, I intend to fix the feet of the 
standards at the outer edge of the border ; as by this means its entire surface will be 
protected, and its value as a border on which to raise a few very early or choice things 
in early spring, is considerably increased. 
I am aware that many gardeners will look very grave at this announcement, and set 
down our mode of procedure as retrogressive, rather than progressive, as we are going back 
to the old system of cropping fruit-tree borders. I must, however, beg leave to assure them 
that we are not going back, as we never could spare the surface which would be lost by 
leaving the fruit-borders entirely unoccupied ; and experience has satisfied me, that the 
method I am about to describe, may be practised without injury to the fruit-trees, provided 
the plants are kept so far asunder, that the sun can still act upon the surface of the border. 
Those who object to the growth of vegetables on fruit-borders, should qualify their 
objections by making a distinction between those fruits which require all the nourishment 
we can give them, and those which are more fruitful when they are limited as to space and 
depth of soil. 
The former is the case with regard to the Vine, and, as a matter of course, we leave 
their borders uncropped ; but in the case of our Peaches and Nectarines, even where their 
roots are confined to the very limited space above-mentioned, and where some liglit -crop 
or other has been annually grown over them, we still find an occasional root-pruning 
necessary. 
But it must not be supposed that we go the length of asserting that fruit tree borders 
may be promiscuously cropped with impunity ; on the contrary, I know that they may not, 
and further, that the liberties we take with these must be limited, and regulated by care 
and judgment. 
My plan is to plant about six inches from the wall, and four feet and a half asunder, 
a row of some very early kind of Strawberry ; selecting for this purpose the first runners 
that can be obtained, a spadeful of good rich loam being pricked in with the point of a 
fork where the plants are to stand. 
Exactly opposite these, and within a foot of the walk in front, a row of best curled 
Parsley, carefully selected from the spring-sown beds, is planted early in July ; and in 
quincunx order, half way between the Parsley and the Strawberries, we shall plant a row 
of early Potatoes in December, immediately after the wall-trees are re- trained. 
In this case also a spadeful of soil, such as we would use in frames for the same 
purpose, is laid down where each set is to be planted, and an additional quantity is given 
to each plant some time afterwards, when they require earthing up. One important point 
to be attended to is, that the spade never on any account be used in stirring or loosening 
the soil on fruit-tree borders ; the fork is the proper instrument, and even with this, great 
care must be taken that the surface roots of the fruit trees be not injured. 
Besides the things here mentioned, a portion of the space may be devoted with equal 
propriety to many other useful things, which require a sort of cold frame protection during 
winter. Amongst these we may include various salads, but foremost of all we should 
name the lovely and sweet-scented varieties of that very popular flower, the Violet. 
When the borders are injudiciously cropped, as much, if not more injury is done by 
the tops of the plants in shading the soil from the influences of the sun and air, as by 
the roots in exhausting it ; but in the arrangement above described, as the plants stand so 
far asunder, we take advantage of the shelter and extra warmth of such a situation, 
without monopolising the entire surface. The distance to some may even appear too 
great, but it must be remembered that the individual plants attain to a much larger size 
when plenty of space is allotted to them ; and as an instance of this, we may mention 
VOL. I. NO. XI. Y Y 
