61 



VARNISHED COTTON AS A PROTECTION FROM FROST. 



At Kingcausie, Kincardineshire, the resi- 

 dence of J. I. Boswell, Esq., about seven 

 miles west from Aberdeen, I have a plant 

 of the Clianthus puniceus, growing in the 

 open air, on a wall at one of the porter's 

 lodges, where it has stood our severe cli- 

 mate five years, with a slight protection 

 during frost in winter. The plant has 

 grown vigorously, and it now covers 

 nearly nine yards of the wall ; is about 

 twelve feet high, and has bloomed every 

 season very profusely, especially last sum- 

 mer (1859). It was very much and justly 

 admired, for it was covered over with 

 several hundreds of beautiful long crimson 

 racemes. Now I wish to give a short ac- 

 count how I protected it during the severe 

 frosts of winter, with the results of two 

 different coverings. I have a frame made 

 of inch board, one foot broad at the top 

 and two feet broad at the bottom, making 

 an angle or slope of 12 inches upon 12 

 feet. The two sides are of this size, and 

 another board over the top, with a little 

 slope to run off the rain water. Other 

 two boards on the front, one at the top 

 and the other at the bottom, to support a 

 rafter or bearer, placed in the centre from 

 top to bottom for my sashes to rest upon. 

 I have the sashes divided into upper and 

 lower, for convenience of removing or 

 drawing up or down to give air. My 

 lower sashes are glass, and the upper is a 

 lijjht frame covei'ed with cotton cloth twice 

 coate:l over with copal varnish. During 

 the very severe frost in the end of Decem- 

 ber last I had my glass covered over with 

 Russian mats, while there was nothing 

 over my varnished cloth, and the result 

 was that all the young wood under the 

 glass was frosted, and but a few leaves 

 touched opposite the cloth sashes. I also 

 have it in use as a protection for some of 

 the tender early-flowering hybrid rhodo- 

 dendrons, as they will scarcely stand our 

 northern winters without some sort of 

 covering. 



My plan for this is like a hand-glass 

 with a moveable top. The size of this 

 contrivance must of course depend iipon 

 the height or breadth of the plant to be 

 covered. The size of my frame is six feet 



square ; the top or roof is varnished cloth, 

 and the sides are made of boards painted 

 green; they look like small ornamental 

 houses or tents, and have no disagreeable 



appearance either on a lawn or flower gar- 

 den, and may conveniently be stowed 

 away into a shed or any dry place when 

 the winter is gone. I have the four sides 

 made separately, six feet long and three 

 feet high, which fasten together at each 

 corner with a pair of hooks. On the side 

 facing south I have a door or opening for 

 air which is not closed except during se- 

 vere frost. I would be glad to know, 

 through any of your numerous readers and 

 correspondents, their experience of var- 

 nished cotton as a protection from frost, 

 as I intend to use it on a pretty lars;e 

 scale, as protection of some sort is so much 

 needed during our severe winters ; and, if 

 this has the desired effect to exclude the 

 frost, it has some advantage over many 

 other coverings, as it is quite transparent, 

 light, and portable ; has no unsightly ap- 

 pearance ; is easily 

 stored away when 

 not required, and 

 not liable to break- 

 age. It is not very 

 expensive, and, as 

 far as I can judge, 

 is pretty durable. 



The annexed 

 figures will serve to 

 illustratethe modes 

 of protection. That 

 fitted to the wall 

 can be easdy extended any length, or 

 reduced, as circumstances may require. 

 P. Sinrsox, Gardener 

 Kingcausie. 



