108 THE FLOWER GARDEN COMPANION. 



The training of vines is simply done by tying them neatly 

 with bass, or other strings, in such a manner that every part 

 is equally divided at a regular distance, and to allow a suffi- 

 cient space for the summer wood to grow, and be trained 

 between the shoots laid in at this season. 



ART. 2. Fall Management and Covering Plants. 



We should be cautious that the early frost does not destroy 

 the Dahlia roots, and tender green-house plants, before they 

 are covered, or housed : I mention this the more particularly, 

 as it is very often the case, especially with young beginners 

 in flower-gardening, that tender plants are left too long un- 

 protected, and thus are much injured, if not totally destroyed. 



The potting of plants, putting them in the frames, and the 

 like, are spoken of under their proper heads, to which I refer 

 the reader. 



The covering, or protecting of plants, should be attended to 

 so soon as the frost begins to be severe. The Box edgings 

 may be protected by sea-weed, hemlock brush, long manure, 

 old tan, or other light covering. Merely to keep off the sun 

 from scalding Box edging will be sufficient, as it is more inju- 

 red by the sun thawing and bursting the sap vessels than by 

 being severely frozen ; and hence it is that the leaves of Box 

 edgings are often scalded in the spring. 



The same rule that is here given with regard to Box edg- 

 ing, is applicable to covering most other plants. The princi- 

 pal object is to protect them from the sun: for it is not the 

 severe frost that injures them, so much as the sun, which, 

 when it exerts its full power on them, bursts their veins in a 

 frozen state, and causes the plants to sicken, and in many 

 cases to die. Many plants, as bulbs and herbaceous plants, 

 are often materially injured in the spring by being too thickly 

 covered in a warm temperature, and commencing to grow 

 when excluded from air; and when uncovered, the leaves 

 are made tender, and suffer very much on being exposed to 

 the sun and air. 



