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A R T OF GARDENING. P a r t III.
opinioTi is in unison with Knight’s, who considers excess of heat during the night as in
all cases highly injurious to tho fruit-trees of temperate climates, and n o tâ t all beneficial
to tliose of tropical climates ; “ for the temperature of these is in many instances loiv
during the night. In Jamaica, and other mountainous islands of the West Indies, tho
air upon the mountains becomes, soon after sunset, chilled and condensed, and, in consequence
of its superior gi-avity, descends, and displaces the wai*m air of the valleys ; yet
the sugar-canes are so far from being injured by this sudden decrease of temperature, that
the sugars of Jamaica take a higher price in the market than those of the less elevated
islands, of which the temperature of the day and night is subject to much less variation.”
(Hurt. Trans., vol. ii. p. 131.)
S e c t . V II. Operations o f Protection from Atmospherical Injuries.
2644. The injuries which plants may receive from the atmosphere are as various as its
changes. Many vegetables which flourish in Britain in the open air during the summer
season, require protection during some or all of the other seasons of the year. Some
also, from the state of tlicir health, or other circumstances, require to be protected from
the direct rays of the sun, from excessive rains, winds, frosts, and even from heat and
evaporation. From these and other evils the gardener protects his plants by opaque coverings
or shelters of different k in d s ; aud by transparent covers or glass cases, and by other
operations and processes.
2645. Protecting hy fronds and frond-like branches is perfonned by sticking in the
footstalks of tlie fronds of any of the ferns, but especially of the Pteris aquilina,
branches of fir, whin, or broom, or of any other evergreens, between the branches of wall-
trccs and the w a ll; so that the frond or leafy branches may project, and eitlier retard the
blossom by excluding the sun, as is often done in Denmark and Sweden ; or protect it
from the frost and winds, as is generally the object in Britain. This is a veiy simple and
economical protection for myrtles, camellias, and other tender botanical plants, trained to
walls, or even growing in the open ground as stools, and also for fruit-trees. Mr. A.
Gon-ie ( Ca/e/. Mem., vol. i. p. 276.) formed a frame for the more commodiously containing
the branches of spruce and silver firs, and other evergreens; and applied frames so clothed
to his fruit-tree walls, on the principle of retarding the blossom. The success was equal to,
and even beyond, his expectations. He covered them on the 20th of February, and removed
the frames on the 1st of June. During this period, the frames were opened every
fine day, bnt always shut at night. Adjoining were some trees of the same kinds, which
were covered night and day, during the above period, with a woollen net. The shoots
of these trees were infected with the curl, or wi-inkled leaf, a disease peculiar to peach
trees in exposed situations; while those protected by the frames of branches were perfectly
healthy ; and, wliat is remarkable, though retarded neai'ly four weeks in the period
of thcir blossoming, the fruit ripened one week sooner.
2646. The advantage o f using frames in covering hy fronds and tranches is, that the
screens or protecting frames can be removed in the daytime; whereas, by attaching the
fronds to the trees, they must, in general, remain till they have effected tlieir object. It
is easy to conceive that trees so treated must often suffer from want of lig h t; and accordingly
Nicol, on the whole, rather disapproves of it. “ I t is,” he says, “ a common
practice, to screen the blossoms of wall-trees by sticking twigs of lai'ch, or of evergreens,
as firs or laurels, between the branches and the wall, in such a manner as to overhang the
blossoms where thickest; and some, instead of these, use the leaves of strong ferns. These
last are certainly fitter for the purpose than the former mentioned, as being lighter, and
less liable to hurt the blossoms, when dashed hy the wind against th em ; but all arc objectionable,
on account of thcir shading the bloom too much, and too constantly, from
the sun and light, by whicli it is rendered weak, and the fruit produced often drops away
before attaining any considerable size; so that all the trouble taken goes for nothing,
as there would probably have been.as good a crop had the trees been left to take their
chance,”
2647. Protecting hy straw ropes is effected by throwing the ropes in different directions
over the trees, and sometimes depositing theii- ends in pails o f water. I t is a Dutch
practice, and appears to have been first made known in this country by Dr. Anderson, in
his Recreations, &c., in 1804. James Laird appears to have tried it successfully on wall-
trees, and on potatoes and other herbaceous vegetables. His metliod is as follows: —
“ As soon as the buds of the trees become turgid, I place poles against the wall, in front
of the trees, at fi-om 4 ft. to 6 ft. asu n d er; thrusting their lower ends into the eai-th,
about a foot from the wall, and fastening them at the top with a strong nail, either to the
wall or the coping. I then procure a quantity of straw or hay ropes, and begin at the top of
one of the outer poles, making fast the end, and pass the rope from pole to pole, taking
a round turn upon each, until I reach the e n d ; when, after securing the end well, I
begin about 18 in. below and return in the same manner to the other end, and so on,
B o o k II. OPERATIONS OF PROTECTION. 709
till I have reached to witliin 18 in. or 2 ft. of tho ground. I have also found straw
ropes to be very useful in protecting other early crops from the effects of frost, as
peas, potatoes, or kidneybeans, by fixing them along the rows with pins driven into the
gi-ound. Old herriiig-nets, and branches of evergreens, are not so efficacious as
straw ropes, which, besides being much cheaper, may be obtained iu evei-y situation.”
2648. Protecting by nets is effected by throwing either straw, hay, bast, hempen or
woollen nets over standai’d trees, the extreme shoots of whicli will support the n e t ; or by
throwing similar nets over hooped beds, or hooped single plants of herbaceous vegetables ;
by fixing them over the frnit-trecs trained against a wall (fig. 529.) ; or by placing them
over tender flowers and botanic plants, as the auricula, tlie hydrangea, &c., by means of
net frames or portable cases.
2649. The ordinary way o f applying nets, Nicol observes, “ is to hang them over the
trees, close to the branches, the flowcr-buds and spurs often sticking out beyond tho
net. Instead of being hung on in so unmeaning a manner, they should be placed out,
at the distance of 15 in. or 18 in. from the tre e ; being kept off by hooked sticks with thcir
buts placed against the wall, and at the distance of about a yard from each other. In
order to make these stand firmly, the net should be first stretched tightly on, and be
fastened on all sides. By fiu-tlier stretching it, to the extent of 15 in. or 18 in., over the
liookcd ends of the sticks, it will be rendered so firm that no wind will displace it ; and
the sticks will also be made quite fast at the same tunc. I f the nets were doubled, or
trebled, and put on in this way, they would be a more effectual screen; as the meshes
or openings would, in that case, be rendered very small.” Woollen nets are deemed
the best, and are now in general use in Scotland. Bast nets are used in Sweden, and
straw nets at the Duke of Bucclcucli’s garden at Dalkeith. “ In screening with nets of
any kind,” Nicol observes, “ they are always to be let remain on night and flay, till all
danger of frost be o v e r; the trouble of putting them properly on being considerable, and
there being no necessity for repeating such trouble, as they will in nowise injure the
health of the trees, being incapable of shading them very much.”
26.50. Protecting by canvas or bunting screens is effected either by placing movable canvas cases over
or arounddetached tre e s ; portable hand-cases over herbaceous p la n ts ; tents or open sheds over th e ilo n s ts ’
flowers; or frames or sheets against trees trained on walls. In all cases, they should be kept clear of the
tree or plant, either hy extended, forked, or hooked sticks, or hooping, or any other obvious resource.
“ For hot-walls,” Nicol observes, “ they should be placed about the distance of 1 ft. a t top, and of
18 in. at bottom. In using canvas or bunting screens, in eitlier of the above-mentioned forms, the trees
are always to be exposed to the free air and liglit, in good weather, through th e d a y ; screening only at
night, and on bad days; applying them from the time the buds begin to open, till th e fruit is iairly set,
...................r of further danger from the effects or till any fear o . . v . . - — o— — -------- o f fro st be p»ast.”
2651. Protecting by mats is the commonest of all modes for bushes, beds, and single herbaceous plants,
es also screens of mats sewed together, or bound in frames, are applied to fruit-trees, either
Sometimes ...Ol. „ v , . . - ________ --o ..........> -- - - - - “ ---------------- — id, effectual,
singly or in frames, or on hooks and pegs. Nicol considers that they are “ in no way so
or ultimately so cheap screens as those of canvass.”
2652. Protecting by straio and litter is effected in herbaceous plants by laying it round their roots, as
in the artichoke, asparagus, &c.; or covering the tops of seedlings, which was formerly done, in cultivating
the cucumber and melon, and is still practised by market-gardeners in raising radishes and other
tender saladings. Straw is also formed into coverings of various sorts for frames; screens for projecting
from wa lls; and cones for bushes, herbaceous plants, and beehives.
2653. Protecting b y oiled paper frames is effected on exactly the same plan and principle as that by
bunting or canvas screens. “ Frames covered with oiled paper have been successfully employed at
Grangemuir garden in Fifeshire. The frames are of wood, in. square, with cross bars mortised
into the sides. T o give support to th e paper, strong packthread is passed over the interstices ol the
frames, forming meshes about 9 in. square. Common printing (or unsized) paper is then pasted
o n ; and when this is quite dry, a coating of boiled linseed-oil is laid on both sides ot the paper with a
painter’s brush. These frames are placed in front of the trees, and made movable, by contrivances
which must vary according to circumstances. If the slope from the wall be considerable, a few triangular
side frames may be made to fit the spaces. At Grangemuir, the frames are not put up till the blossoms
be pretty well expanded; till which time they are not very apt to suffer from spring frosts or hail showers.
In this way, it may be remarked, there is much less danger of rendering the blossom delicate by the
covering, than if it were applied a t an earlier period. The paper frames, if carefully preserved when not
in use, will endure for a good many years, with very slight repairs.’’ , , . „
2654. Protecting copings and horizontal shelters, mentioned by Miller and Laurence, are used chiefly
with a view of preventing th e perpendicular cold. They are projected generally from the top, but m
lofty walls also from the middle, and remain on night and day during the cold season. "W hen there is
only a temporary coping, it is recommended by Miller and others to be hinged, and to have strings
hanging down from every board on each side of the wall, so th a t the board may be projected, or thrown
back, so as to rest on th e top of the wall a t pleasure.
2655. Protecting by transparent covers is effected with small plants, by placing over
them a hand or bell glass ; with larger ones, by either portable bell or curvilinear-shaped
portable cases; and with considerable shrubs or fniit-trecs, by movable cases or glass
tents. For culinaiy seedlings, herbaceous plants in pots, and young trees of delicate
sorts, timber frames with glass covers are u s ed ; or the plants are placed in pits dug in
the ground, over which sashes are laid. In whichever way transparent protections are
used, they must be partially or wholly removed, or otherwise opened, in fine weather,
to admit a change of atmosphere, and a free current to dry up and de.stroy the appearance
of what are called damps ; and also to hai-den and prepare such plants for the removal
of the covers.
2656. Transparent screens are made by placing sashes not in use on edge, and thus
fonnmg as it were glass walls or partitions; which, applied to greenhouse plants, sot
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