DECEMBER NOTES 



WM. HUNT, 



SLTIT. GREENHOUSES, O. A. C, GUKLPH. 



PLANT PROTECTION.— The first 

 or second week in December is 

 usually early enough to attend to 

 the matter of giving rome protection to 

 plants and shrubs of questionable hardiness 

 in the garden. As a rule the tendency on 

 the part of plant growers is to be too good 

 natured in this respect. In many cases the 

 covering is applied too early in the season 

 before the wood has had time to ripen and 

 partially harden, or the plant had time to at- 

 tain its normal winter condition ; and in 

 many cases the covering is altogether too 

 heavy and close for the well being of the 

 plant which it is intended to protect. Take 

 for instance some of the more tender varie- 

 ties of out door roses of questionable hardi- 

 ness, such as La France, Fisher Holmes, 

 and others of that type that are more or less 

 of a delicate nature, especially in northern 

 sections of the country; or take the more 

 tender varieties of the Altheas or Rose of 

 Sharon shrubs, of the l)eautiful dwarf 

 though somewhat delicate Spirea. .\nthony 

 Watercr, and similar kinds of shrubs, these 



altliougli tender do not require a very heavy 

 covering during winter to protect them. A 

 good heavy mulch of manure placed over the 

 roots of the plant after the ground has be- 

 come frozen slightly, and a light covering 

 of straw or long sedge grass, bound loosely 

 around the growth of the plant, will be 

 found of much more benefit than a very 

 heavy covering of the same material, 



which latter would 

 any circulation of 

 growth, as well as 

 oftentimes an excess 



effectually exclude 



air around the 



induce and retain 



of moisture. This 



will bring rot and mildew into the growth 

 during periods of alternate frost and 

 thaw, besides affording — especially if ap- 

 plied too early in the season — a splendid 

 harbor for rats and mice that will do a great 

 deal more harm than severe frost will to the 

 plants. Rats and mice usually seek out 

 their winter quarters before severe weather 

 sets in, and are seldom troublesome if the 

 winter covering of plants is withheld until 

 real winter weather sets in. 



The winter protection of some of the more 



