THE WINTER PROTECTION OF PLANTS. 77 



perhaps last winter with its early and abundant snowfall 

 should not be quoted as an average winter, especially when 

 we know on good authority that the tea rose Madame Caro- 

 line Testout survived the winter in Fort Rouge without any 

 protection whatever. There are many roses no doubt which 

 will live through our winters without being covered at all. 

 Roses of the Rugosa class need no care. The yellow roses 

 Persian Yellow and Harrison's Yellow are perfectly hardy. 

 My friend, Professor Hart, has had for a number of years in 

 his garden a moss rose, a yellow rose (probably Harrison's 

 yellow) and a small pink rose which have lived and bloomed 

 year after year without protection, although they are often 

 frozen back considerably. The garden is tolerably well pro- 

 tected by the house on the North, a board fence on the South 

 and West and by trees. 



The proper time in the autumn to begin to protect plants 

 is when the frost begins to stiffen the ground, usually in the 

 first week of November, and the covering ought not to be 

 taken off until the plants are about to start into life. The 

 mistake is very often made of uncovering too early. Indeed 

 if by leaving the covering on, the beginning of growth in 

 strawberries or raspberries can be delayed for a week the 

 plants will have escaped very likely one of their worst ene- 

 mies, the danger of frost while they are in bloom. 



The fruit grower and the flower grower in Manitoba 

 have to face and to conquer difficulties which do not beset the 

 cultivators in milder climates. But what of that ? Difficul- 

 ties exist only for the purpose of being overcome. Anybody 

 can grow flowers in California or British Columbia : it is only 

 the man of intelligence, of perseverance and of watchfulness 

 who can succeed under conditions which are as new and some 

 of which are untoward as ours. 



DISCUSSION. 



Some one asked about the hardiness of the Hydrangea. Mr. Bed- 

 ford spoke of one variety as being- very tender with them at Brandon. 

 He said, "We got plants from Rochester and Ontario and both were 



