ON THE HARDIHOOD OF THE MYRTLE. 221 



and diameter ; keep them in heat as long as possible without 

 drawing the plants, and many of them will bloom the first year, 



11. Freestone, 



ARTICLE III. 

 ON THE HARDIHOOD OF THE MYRTLE. 



J. G. 



About seventeen years ago I planted a myrtle about a foot high 

 against a kitchen wall, and sheltered it with matting, every win- 

 ter ; it grew the height of the wall (about eighteen feet) two or 

 three times, and flowered profusely. The winter before last, 

 having removed, I sent for this tree, it was by some neglect 

 left on the lawn, after having been dug up two nights with four 

 or five degrees of frost; it was planted in a southern aspect, 

 without shelter, all the winter. It dropped in consequence some 

 of its leaves, and did not flower, no doubt on account of its 

 removal, otherwise in the autumn it was as luxuriant as ever. 



This last winter it was unsheltered through all the severest 

 weather, and appears to have suffered much the same as the 

 Bays and Lauristinus. Unfortunately it was cut down with the 

 latter, or I have very little doubt it would have shot out in its 

 upper branches. It has now innumerable shoots a foot from 

 the ground. Its roots when dug up, contrary to what my 

 gardener expected, extended only about six or eight inches from 

 the trunks, of which latter, there were three or four, three inches 

 in diameter. 



The purport of sending this is the inducement it may hold out 

 to some of your readers to grow i'c in sheltered situations as a 

 hardy tree, few trees would look handsomer as a standard, and I 

 have but little doubt that with shelter the first and second win- 

 ters it would thrive in most English counties, I should say 

 this was grown in Essex five or six miles from London, and the 

 thermometer one night last winter was below Zero. 



J. G. 



July 13. 1838. 



P. S. A Magnolia grandifiora has survived the winter withont 

 Bheltcr on the lawn in the same garden. 



