THE MULCHING AND WINTER PROTECTION. 



The mulching is very important in many cases, especially 

 where flowers and smaller plants have been planted late in the 

 season. It often happens that where no cover has been used, 

 such plants have completely worked out of the ground and have 

 been destroyed from exposure. This is due to the changeable 

 weather. The freezing and thawing sometimes causes the 

 ground to heave and leaves the plants on top of the ground. If 

 covered with compost, manure, leaves or anything which will 

 protect them and retain a more regular temperature, so that 

 when it thaws it will not affect the ground under the cover but 

 will allow the frost to pass off gradually, the ground will also 

 be enriched. 



Many delicate plants can be protected through the winter 

 by covering. Judgment must be used in the matter of covering. 

 It is frequently noticed that plants which have been covered too 

 early, have been completely destroyed by bugs and creepers of 

 all kinds. These insects live in just such places in the winter 

 and cause great destruction to the plants. 



All plants that demand protection for the winter should 

 not be covered until there, has been some cold weather which 

 will kill the insects. If the old tops of the flowers have not 

 been cut off it should be done now and the plants covered with 

 a coat of mulching or manure. Any plants which are very sensi- 

 tive to cold should be taken inside for the winter, during, the 

 mcnth of November or before, depending on the climate. 



Early mulching not only affords a coonvenient hiding place 

 for destructive insects, but by becoming too warm, will start 

 the plant growing. This new growth will be injured later by 

 the cold weather. Plants cannot stand too heavy covering of 

 this kind if the weather is mild, but if the ground has been 

 slightly frozen before mulching the temperature will be better 

 regulated and thus insure their preservation. 



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