During the severe frost last winter, I found considerable difficulty to fix upon some plan that would effectually serve for the above purpose. I had previously seen the efficacy of various kinds of coverings; but of all those known to rue, the best seemed to be one similar to that which 1 now mean to give a description of, and which may be designated the hay-net.

I mentioned what I wanted to one of the most intelligent men employed in the garden, and he then told me that the wall-trees here years ago used to be protected by a similar covering; and on inquiry, I found that he knew how to proceed in the matter. "Without any delay we made preparations for getting a lot of nets made, and the first thing that we required was a frame in which to make them. This we soon procured, which I can compare to an old-fashioned wooden bedstead without the cross-beams in the area. In addition it had a few wooden pins round it for holding the nets, as will be seen afterwards. The size of the frame was 11 feet long by 5 feet broad, and about 3 feet high, which was thought the most convenient. When the frame was procured, hay-ropes were made, for that material was ready at hand, and fixed upon it. We soon got a lot of nets made in one of the garden-sheds, where the men were not exposed to the severe weather.

In getting the ropes laid upon the frame for making our nets, the first one was laid round the edge outside the pins for a margin; the next was placed diagonally, from one corner to the other; then others were laid in the same direction as the latter, at about 5 inches apart, till the space on both sides was filled up. Then, again, from the opposite angle was laid another diagonal, taken in and out between the others already fixed, after the fashion of wicker-work. A corresponding number of ropes were worked in on each side of the latter till the net was framed out. All the ends of these ropes were fixed to the margin in due course, and when a tie with tar-cord was given at each crossing of the ropes, the net was ready for use.

We made as many nets in this way as protected about 150 yards of wall; and the rate we made them at was about 1 net per day for each man.

As the season advanced, and as soon as the first blossom began to expand, we put on our first set of nets. That was of course upon the Apricots; and in order to get them protected, the first part of our work was to place a lot of poles, and fix them, one every 5 feet, at an angle of about 65° to the wall; these were to answer the width of the nets, as will be understood, to keep them properly off the wall; behind, the poles were fixed; then we got on our nets, which we tied breadthwise to the topmost wire of the trellice, just under the coping. All that was now required was a wooden pin, put in to keep the two lower corners of the nets together, which were not kept in position by the poles, and the covering was completed.

We had all our Peaches and Apricots covered in this way, excepting one wall of the latter, and that we had protected by a double ply of herring-nets and another of hexagon netting together. This we tried for comparison with the hay-nets. What of the result of these two modes of covering? From the trees that were protected by the herring-nets we have scarcely had a crop; whereas from those that were covered by the hay-nets we have gathered an abundant crop, and we thinned as many fruit off them as would have made six good crops. These results speak for themselves, and show the superiority of the one mode of covering over the other.

On all favourable occasions when we thought that we could render any assistance to the blossoms to insure their fertility, we lifted the nets up and doubled them back upon the top of the wall; and at all times when there might be some danger from frost they were let down again and pinned as before. These nets will be found to husband warmth considerably - at least they break the cold winds in a great degree - and they admit much more light than a person would at first imagine.

To conclude these notes, I can only say that I know of no better covering for wall-trees - excepting glass - than the hay-net; and I should advise all those who require to put up a temporary protection, and who have not already proved its efficacy, to give the plan a trial. Robert Mackellar.

Elvaston Castle Gardens.