PROTECTING HARDY SHRUBS IN WINTER. 361 



ters are puzzled to know just how they shall treat them for winter- 

 ing. In answer to such a question I would say this depends on 

 circumstances, but the average planter, who has, say, one or two 

 dozen shrubs, is at least safe in giving them some winter protection^ 

 This is especially true for the first few years after planting. As a 

 rule, I recommend the planting of only the hardiest kinds of shrubs 

 but even if our list be limited to such, we must not forget that there 

 may be injury even to these during the winter. For one thing there 

 is snow; perhaps, on every spot where your beautiful shrubs stand 

 there may be a heavy snow-drift that will badly break them down. 

 I recall frequent instances of this kind, where the weight of the 

 snow has been so great, that, as it has settled by thawing, it has 

 disfigured the shrubs much by breaking the branches. We must 

 remember that a shrub is not like a tree in having a trunk that car- 

 ries the head above the ordinary snow-drift. With these the head is 

 next to the ground. 



Thus, again, some of our most desirable kinds, especially those 

 from Japan, like the weigeleas, hydrangeas, forsythias, spiraeas, 

 cydonias and others, are perfectly hardy after they once become 

 established, but may suffer somewhat during the first and second 

 winters. This would be more apt to follow at a time when there was 

 no snow than if a coat of this were present. The hardiness of such 

 depends much on the extent and depth of the roots; after these have 

 had time to reach to a good depth in the soil, the shrub is safe. 

 Until then it is better to protect it in winter. 



Still another way in which proper winter covering may benefit 

 young shrubs is in keeping mice from gnawing the bark at this 

 season. Young shrubs of tender bark sometimes are badly injured 

 by mice. 



HOW TO PROTECT HARDY SHRUBS. 



The annexed sketches tell the story almost without words' 

 There is nothing new about this method, and yet as one often meets 

 with attempts at applying it that are bungling, untidy and inefficient 

 it seems worth while to dwell briefly thereon. In the first place aim 

 to secure neatness in the work. If there be one thing that impresses 

 the writer as being worse than an untidy summer garden, it is an 

 untidy winter garden. Shrubs neatly dressed for the winter, like 

 the one to the right in the engraving, tells to every passer-by that 

 here has been at work a gardener who takes pride in well kept sur- 

 roundings. The same shrub, tied up in straw that is loose and 

 littering, with the bush perhaps leaning as if it had the crainp, is 

 enough to horrify one who has any notion that a garden's furnish- 

 ings are designed to be ornamental and not repulsive. 



The first step in tying up, is to take some pains in bringing the 

 branches together in a perfectly erect position in the main. If you 

 cannot do this in any other way, then set a light rod down in the 

 center of the bush and bring the branches against this, afterwards 

 drawing out the rod. Starting with a shrub like the one in the center 

 of our figure, it should, after the first tying, look as shown on the 

 left hand sketch, and is now ready to receive the straw. For the 

 neatest job use straight bundle rye straw, setting It about an inch 



