MAY. 
137 
wood of the trees is unnailed in the autumn, the shreds should be picked 
over and boiled, and then dried for use. Wall nails are frequently used 
too large, for, with the exception of securing the large branches of the 
Peach and spur-bearing wall trees, which require stout nails, and should 
be fastened with osier twigs, small nails will be found to answer best, 
as more easily driven into the wall and extracted. Some descriptions of 
walls are built of materials so hard that nails can only be driven into 
the joints, which, when the stones are large, may be too wide apart for 
training ; in this case, and especially if the face of the wall is rough, 
we recommend a coarse stucco and wiring with either copper or galvanised 
iron wires placed close to the wall. It is of but little use attempting 
to grow good fruit against old brick walls, full of nail holes, and with 
bad joints, as these harbour insects to such a degree as to frustrate all 
hopes of keeping them down. Our plan is to unnail the trees from 
the walls, and either early in the autumn, or when all danger of severe 
frost is over in the spring, rake out the joints and fresh point them, 
after which put some unslaked lime in a tub and pour boiling water on 
it; when the lime is slake'd, pour in sufficient gas tar to make it a paste, 
well mixing the whole together ; give the wall a couple of coats of this, 
diluted to the consistency of whitewash, allowing it to dry before the 
second application. This will prove an effectual preserver of the brick¬ 
work, as it forms a body which resists all damp, and fills up the chinks 
and nail holes at the same time. When this second washing over is well 
dried the wall may be coloured to taste, with a mixture of Roman 
cement, Spanish brown, or red and umber, as may be required. We 
prefer a neutral tint ourselves, but a few trials will show the proper 
proportions of each to be used. We should recommend all old walls to 
be brushed well over with the above composition once in two years, to 
destroy the eggs or larvse of insects, as well as to preserve the walls, 
and can assure our readers it is at once the most cheap and effectual 
preserver of brick-work they can employ. 
For training we must refer to the many excellent articles, illustrated 
by diagrams, to be found in our late numbers. 
Espaliers, trees on the old plan of stakes and rails, are most troublesome 
and expensive to manage. The cheapest way in the end is to purchase what 
is called wire fencing, now so much in vogue, with five or six wires for 
training the shoots horizontally to, and having either iron or oak sup¬ 
ports and straining posts. When once these are fixed, the after trouble 
is very trifling; a coat of mineral paint or the tar mixture once in two 
years will keep them in good repair, and they form a very neat 
training espalier, very suitable for Pears, Apples, Plums, and Cherries. 
The bottom wire should be 12 inches from the earth, and the others 
9 inches apart. We prefer this to bushes for gardens of limited size, 
and they form neat divisional fences, and for bordering the main walks. 
Another great advantage of espaliers is the ease with which the trees, 
when in bloom, can be protected from spring frosts by forming a slight 
framing over the line of rail, on which canvas or garden mats may be 
placed day and night, when danger is apprehended. Any of the 
manufacturers of wire fencing would give estimates for the cost of 
espalier such as we recommend. 
