374 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR DECEMBER. 



side to side, arched over as low as 

 practicable to be clear of the plants 

 — say three feet apart from end to 

 end ; then tie a straight lath or 

 rod along the tops of the hoops, 

 and one or two lengths on each 

 side. This prevents the mats from 

 falling through, and allows of our 

 throwing them over quickly. Of 

 course the hoops are continued 

 there, but the mats removed every 

 morning except in frost, and some- 

 times in cold dry winds, which are 

 nearly as destructive. If the frost 

 he kept completely out, all the 

 young plants get on wonderfully, 

 as compared with those that en- 

 dure the changes. 



Transparent Cloth. — This is far 

 superior to matting, inasmuch as 

 the plants never suffer for want of 

 light; and the henefit of this is 

 chiefly felt when a continuance of 

 frost prevents us from removing 

 the covering for a week, some- 

 times at the end of which time, if 

 under mats or any other dark 

 covering, the plants will have 

 turned yellow, and drawn very 

 much. In pots and frames, which 

 are sometimes not uncovered for 

 weeks, it is of the highest conse- 

 quence to have light transparent 

 waterproof cloth instead of mats ; 

 and the i^lants under cloth scarcely 

 look the worse for a month's con- 

 finement, whereas if dark they 

 would turn completely yellow and 

 weakly, and scarcely recover the 

 effects for months. There are 

 various devices for protecting 

 single plants : the hest perhaps 

 that we know of are the 



Wicker and Basket Protectors. — 

 These may be made of various 

 forms. The smaller ones are in the 

 form of a bee-hive, and are merely 

 lifted on and off; larger ones are 

 made in two halves, so that they 

 may be put together sideways, and 



fastened with hooks and eyes to 

 each other. The material of which 

 they are made depends on the 

 quantity of protection required. 

 There are many shrubs, the Mag- 

 nolias for instance, which are all 

 but hardy when once fairly esta- 

 blished, but which, while young, 

 cannot stand a very hard frost : 

 these ought to be protected until 

 they are seven years established 

 in the place where they are to re- 

 main. By having the protectors 

 made in two parts, which have to 

 be applied sideways, and join 

 evenly, they may be made of any 

 size, and are by no means difficult 

 to put together, nor are they very 

 unwieldy, even if of larger dimen- 

 sions. Six feet high and four feet 

 through would not be inconveni- 

 ent to handle, and there are 

 many shrubs which, if protected 

 up to that height, would require it 

 no longer. Rhododendrons would 

 require them shorter and wider, 

 but they should only be open 

 wicker, like a fowl-basket, because 

 they should be open in mild 

 weather, and such protectors well 

 made would not be unsightly. The 

 mats or cloths need only be thrown 

 over them at nights and on frosty 

 days. The Araucarias, that will 

 stand when once well established, 

 are frequently injured so much in 

 their young days as to scarcely re- 

 cover at all to become handsome ; 

 these, therefore, especially want 

 protection for the first few years. 



Wall Protectors. — Many half- 

 hardy climbers require protection. 

 If mats are placed, that is, hung 

 against the wall, they will do very 

 well for deciduous plants, but for 

 evergreens the material should be 

 impervious to wet, and trans- 

 parent, to admit light, otherwise 

 the foliage would be damaged ; it 

 should also be closed at the top, 



