70 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE CHAP, 
together on the beds they may possibly generate a 
very small supply of heat in themselves; but only 
dead leaves should be used, for anything that would 
ferment and actually heat would probably be 
injurious. 
They should be put a foot to eighteen inches in 
depth all over, around, inside, and between the 
plants, and I do not find that they blow away in 
appreciable quantity, except perhaps on the very out- 
side, where they may be renewed. They will be 
beaten down and consolidated a little by snow and 
rain, when a fresh supply if necessary can be 
added. 
I believe these to be the best protection ; they are 
Nature’s own covering; the bed-clothes she herself 
provides for the winter sleep of her tender plants, 
and even apples accidentally left on the ground 
under the fallen leaves, have been often found fresh 
and in good condition in the early spring. What- 
ever the covering be, it should not be removed till 
the middle or end of March, unless the quantity be 
so small that the covering can be very quickly 
replaced. 
Tea Roses on walls can be easily protected by 
evergreen boughs hung on nails; if fir branches be 
used, the needles or leaves will begin to drop off in 
early spring: this has a good effect in exposing the 
plant gradually, and so hardening it off, but the 
needles should be swept away and not suffered to 
work into the soil. It must be remembered in this 
case and in that of standards that it is no use 
protecting the upper shoots if any part of the actual 
Rose below is left exposed. The very lowest part 
of the Tea Rose as budded on the briar is the 
