476 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



disease that has of recent years been so 

 disastrous to hollyhocks, has almost ban- 

 ished this grand old-fashioned flower from 

 our g-ardens. The Campanula pyramidalis, 

 however, seems to be quite proof ag-ainst 

 either disease or attacks of insects, a little 

 extra care in winter, beyond ordinary 

 culture, being- about all it requires to give 

 profuse returns of its handsome spikes of 

 bright colored, showy flowers during the 

 summer months. 



Fig. 1947. 

 Spray of Gaillardia Grandiflora. 



A good covering of snow is undoubtedly 

 a splendid protection to plant life in winter, 

 especially if sufficient of it could be retained 

 in its natural light fleecy form to cover the 

 plants the entire winter through. Ex- 

 perience has taught us, however, that snow 

 cannot always be depended on for a winter 

 covering for plants, especially towards 

 spring-time, when the heat of the sun, or 

 perhaps a warm rainfall with sharp frosts 

 immediately following, converts the cover- 



ing of half-melted snow into a thick sheeting 

 of ice over and around the plants. This 

 accumulation of ice is as injurious to plant 

 life as the heavy covering of manure before 

 merftioned, as it often hermetically seals the 

 plants under its icy grasp, entirely excluding 

 air from them, without which very neces- 

 sary element plant life cannot possibly exist. 

 Alternate periods of freezing and thawing 

 are also very disastrous to unprotected 

 plants. 



The great point to be gained in success- 

 fully protecting semi-herbaceous border 

 plants in winter is to provide a covering 

 that will exclude to a great degree extremes 

 of frost, as well as the rays of the sun, 

 without excluding air altogether from the 

 plants. Keeping the covering next to the 

 plants as dry as possible is another very 

 essential point in the protection of plants 

 in winter. 



There is no better and easier obtained 

 covering for the class of plants mentioned 

 than fresh fallen autumn leaves. Sufficient 

 of these should be first placed about the 

 plants to cover them. Strong wire, or 

 tough pliant twigs, should then be bent 

 over the leaves so as to form an arch. This 

 support of wire or twigs should be strong 

 enough to support any additional covering 

 that may be afterwards thought necessary, 

 so that the extra weight does not bear 

 down on the plants. This second or outer 

 covering should consist of long sedge grass, 

 straw, or long strawy manure, placed over 

 the supports in such a way so as to form a 

 rough thatch, to throw off" any moisture 

 and keep the underneath covering as dry as 

 possible. Boards can be used to answer 

 the same purpose as the wire or twigs ; 

 these, however, must be well supported, so 

 as to keep them from pressing on the plants. 

 Stone or blocks of wood can be used for 

 this purpcrse. If the supports are strong, 

 additional covering can be added at any 

 time, if required, but as a rule a light cover- 



