PROTECTING THE BLOSSOMS OF FRUIT TREES ON OPEN WALLS. 
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generally) failures from the same cause ; and hence it becomes an interesting and important 
consideration, how far, and by what means, such calamities may be prevented, or their 
dire results mitigated. To discuss or to assign reasons for what may be the causes of 
these fluctuations of the seasons, which have marked the progress of the last few years, 
is not the province of the gardener, or of this Miscellany ; if it is indeed within the powers 
of the most profound astrologists and meteorological observers. It is sufficient to know 
that our comparatively mild winters are often followed by very severe frosts in March and 
April, when vegetation is young and tender. It matters not with what care a tree may 
have been trained, or what its promise of blossom may be, induced by the skill of a good 
gardener ; if at this crisis there are not the ready means of guarding against ordinary and 
extraordinary frosts, ruin must ensue to our fairest hopes of fruit. 
Many and various have been the modes of protection adopted by gardeners, and equally 
various their results : much depending upon the peculiar circumstances of the locality as 
to elevation, exposure, dryness of soil, &c. Some have even advocated no protection at 
all, from observing the injury which frequently results from the use of too close a material 
in mild sunny weather. We are, however, advocates for protection ; we would provide for 
extreme cases of heat or frost, by having the most perfect control as to the removal, or 
use of our covering. 
The flued wall seems to offer the only effectual means of repelling frosts, when the 
degree of cold is so intense as it has been in the past season, even in our Midland and 
Southern counties, for at Exeter in the past season the frosts were most severe. We 
would not advocate its use to bring the trees forward, but only on occasions when the 
rigour of the weather was such as to penetrate through the nettings, canvas, straw ropes, 
or other materials, and most willingly accord the expression of our favourable opinion as 
to the value of such a structure for accelerating the ripening of both the wood and the 
fruit, in cold, wet, and sunless Autumns. 
Since glass has become so much cheaper, it is of course very desirable to extend its 
application for the production of fruits, we should therefore earnestly advocate its more 
extensive use, as a certain means of obtaining this desirable result, but it must be remem- 
bered that glass alone is not sufficient to repel 10° or 12° of frost, and that it may (if fixed 
without adequate means of ventilation) render the enclosed air so hot as to be injurious to 
the tender blossoms and embryo fruit. We would recommend the multiplication of the 
small Dutch moveable houses, with a common flue or flued wall, or, what is better, although 
more expensive at first, a hollow wall with hot water-pipes, by which means the heat is 
more equally diffused, and the scorching effect of the fire (where it enters the flue) obviated. 
The attention of gentlemen who are about to form fine gardens should we think be 
especial directed to small portable glass cases, and the means of heating their walls on 
occasions of these severe visitations. 
If the walls of our gardens were so built that moderate heat could be applied in cases 
of emergency, and its radiation prevented by the use of thick canvas, made to slide off or 
on according to circumstances, and, in addition to this, there was a temporary coping of 
board used ; we venture to opine that the disappointment of proprietors who have gone to 
much expense with their walls would be less frequent, and the excessive mortification of 
persevering gardeners of rarer occurrence. 
In almost all seasons (however severe) we find that the Apricot trees on the walls of 
cottages, escape injury much more frequently than those trees which are growing on 
common open walls. Much is we think in such cases due to the protection afforded by 
the projecting thatch, and much also to the accumulated heat retained, and slowly 
radiated by the walls of a dwelling-house, this in fact yielding the same advantage as a hot 
wall. How often too do we see the industrious cottager, who has only one tree, putting 
on and removing his covering according to circumstances, and eventually securing a crop 
of fruit, while in the fine garden of the great proprietor all is failure. 
Surely it would be wise to bear in mind in protecting our wall trees these practices 
and circumstances, seeing that they are so generally successful, and that they are too per- 
fectly agreeable with those data on which alone sound horticultural practice is founded. 
It may not be irrelevant to glance at the various ordinary modes of protection which 
