144 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



growth, of plants. The Magnolia purpurea, conspicua, and 

 some others show their flowers very early in the spring, and 

 very frequently have all the expanded blooms killed off by 

 cold winds or frosts. In the open air, and when the plants 

 have attained considerable magnitude, we are obliged to put 

 up with all tliis ; but when trained against a wall, they may 

 be saved and the plant preserved in all its beauty for many 

 weeks ; and all by means of a covering to put up and take 

 down as requbed, according to the state of the weather ; but 

 always at evening, because it is impossible to calculate on a 

 single night in March and April mthout frost. It is a very 

 common thing to plant fuchsias out of doors in beds and 

 patches or in single plants. The winter generally kills them 

 wliile young, but by covering the roots and part of the stems 

 with moss, they break out early the next year and grow very 

 strong, much more so than if they were new plants put out. 

 This simple covering of moss is one of the gTcatest protections 

 that can be given to any tender perennial that dies down 

 naturally, or is usually killed down to the ground. Tender 

 bulbs that grow stronger the second or third year of planting, 

 but which are in danger of suffering from frost, may be effec- 

 tually covered with about two inches of moss ; for no frost 

 will penetrate it ; and, that the wind may not displace it, a 

 few pegs run through the lumps or tufts will be found of the 

 greatest use. 



Moss is not so good a protection for small plants, that is to 

 say, in practice j for, although it is effectual as to cold, it is 

 such a harbour for vermin that the chances are sadly against 

 the plants. They wiU escape the frost only to be devoured 

 by slugs, snails, and other enemies. A lighter sort of litter, 

 such as well-dried peas haulm, or new straw, well broken, will 

 be found better ; or if there be beds, a few hoops put across, 

 with two or three straight laths along them, to prevent the 

 cover from falling through, enables us to throw a cloth of 

 some kind, or some matting over them. This is particularly 

 applicable to pinks, carnations, pansies, choice autumn sown 

 stocks, and the better kind of annuals and perennials raised 

 from seed at the end of the summer. Choice bulbs of all 

 kinds grown in collections are worth their trouble and ex- 

 pense. Choice anemones and ranunculuses, when sown in 

 autumn, want this protection in spring, and we have suc- 

 ceeded in saviQg a bed of verbenas by mattiag them in bad 



