ch firs
and the like will stand a =long-continued high wind= with impunity; not
only does it wrench the plants out of the soil, but, if it comes from a
cold quarter, both flowers and leaves curl up at its approach and refuse
to thrive; they become nipped in the bud, as at the touch of frost.
Everyone has experienced the meaning of shelter when out in a cold
nor'-easter; how it bites one, making the blood stand still with its fury!
then, all at once, we round the corner, and hey presto! all is changed;
the air is quite caressing, and the blood tingles to our very finger-tips
from the sudden reaction. With due regard to shelter, then, =climates can
be "manufactured" without glass=. In extensive grounds, these wind-breaks
are made by planting lines of trees, but in smaller spaces it may be done
differently. The construction of =light fences=, not over five feet in
height, run up inside the compound, accomplish a good deal, as may be seen
by any visitor to the nurseries of Messrs. Barr, at Long Ditton; they are
=not ugly if well clothed=, and make an effectual break in a much shorter
time than would be the case if fruit-trees were planted, though there is
nothing prettier than a row of apple or pear trees, grown espalier
fashion, if time is no object. Many things will nestle beneath them, and
flower beautifully for months together, for, though these fruit-trees are
deciduous, the force of the wind is considerably lessened by them, on the
same principle that =fishing-nets are such a protection from frost= to
wall-climbers; and this again may be compared to the veils which ladies
use to protect their skin. Though of wide mesh, the fishing-nets will keep
off five or six degrees of frost, and in certain cases are better than a
closer protection, like tiffany, which sometimes "coddles" the trees too
much.

=A few words on the respective qualities of youth and age= may not be
amiss. Amateurs are so often disappointed in their garden purchases,
because they will not allow the plants sufficient time to demonstrate
their capabilities. =Catalogues are much to blame= in this respect; an
enticing description of a shrub is given, and the confiding amateur orders
it, believing that in a year or two it will fulfil its character. How can
he be expected to know that that particular variety never bears any
flowers worth speaking of till it is at least seven years old! In the long
run, I think nurserymen will find it pay to tell the whole trut