THE GARDEN 43 



SOME PRINCIPLES OF WINTER PROTECTION 



No living thing on this wide earth is so strong that, at some period oc 

 its life, it is not thankful for and benefited by careful attention, helpful 

 support and wise protection (and, by the way, while this is especially true 

 of plant life, it is more especially true of human life). 



Care, support, protection — at any cost — at all cost. The point is to 

 obtain certain, sure and definite results. Therefore, it is not a question so 

 much of how you protect your trees, plants and bushes in winter, so long 

 so you do obtain these looked-for results. 



Why do we wear clothes? To keep warm; to keep cool; to avoid sun- 

 burn; to avoid frostbite; to temper the effects of cutting winds; to ward off 

 insect bits; to keep dry; and many diverse reasons 



In the same way, we wrap up, bank up and mulch our gardens. For 

 many of our most cherished fruits, flowers and vegetables are existing 

 under conditions that are vastly different from those conditions under 

 which they originally sprouted and grew. Therefore, the wise gardener 

 Imitates, as well as he can, those original conditions. 



Some of the well-known dangers against which we give winter pro- 

 tection are: 



1. Cold and cutting winds. 



2. Low temperatures and sudden changes in the temperatures. 



3. Actual freezing of moisture that is present within the life cells 

 of the plants, which freezing of the moisture causes a rupturing of the 

 cells and a destruction of valuable tissues. 



4. The alternate thawing and freezing of the soil, heavy with moisture, 

 which causes a heaving upwards, or a sinking with disastrous results to 

 plant roots. They are pushed upwards, often becoming quite exposed to 

 the raw elements. Sometimes the plants themselves are uprooted and 

 overthrown by a simple windstorm, which they would otherwise have 

 safely weathered. 



5. Protection against the whipping and breaking of branches .nnd 

 vines by strong winds. It is hardly necessary to go deeply into this very 

 obvious danger and the irremediable results. 



6. Protection against marauding winter animals, such as rabbits, 

 field mice, squirrels, who do tremendous damage to shrubs and trees, es- 

 pecially young stock, by gnawing the tender young bark for winter food. 

 It is by no means an unusual thing to find a choice new shrub completely 

 stripped for six or eight inches above the ground of its protecting bark, 

 Itabbits are too fond of this delectable occupation to ignor the danger. 



Many children have their rabbit hutches, and it is quite the custom 

 (and naturally so, too) for the boys to allow their pets ?, run thru the 

 garden. Indeed, the little fellows are allowed to. run loose, perhaps for 

 a whole morning. While they are running loose be quite suro they are 

 also into mischief. / 



We ourselves have had some exciting chases winter after -winter, 

 after inquisitive and none too particular visitors, who have got "out of 

 bounds." 



7. Protection against the scalding effects of direct, and therefore, too 

 intense sunlight, especially after a stretch of many dark wind-biting days. 



8. Protection against production, or unnatural winter growth, caused 

 by undue stimulation of sleeping forces. This is caused by a spell of warm, 

 sunny weather, and is a danger not to be overlooked. 



9. Protection against an excessive drying-out of the soil, especially 

 where such gross feeders are planted as paeonies, grape vines, wistaria 

 vines and the like. 



10. The breaking of snow-overloaded branches. 



