70 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



together on the beds they may possibly generate a 

 very small supply of heat in themselves ; but only 

 dead leaves should be used, for anything that would 

 ferment and actually heat would probably be 

 injurious. 



They should be put a foot to eighteen inches in 

 depth all over, around, inside, and between the 

 plants, and I do not find that they blow away in 

 appreciable quantity, except perhaps on the very out- 

 side, where they may be renewed. They will be 

 beaten down and consolidated a little by snow and 

 rain, when a fresh supply if necessary can be 

 added. 



I believe these to be the best protection ; they are 

 Nature's own covering; the bed-clothes she herself 

 provides for the winter sleep of her tender plants, 

 and even apples accidentally left on the ground 

 under the fallen leaves, have been often found fresh 

 and in good condition in the early spring. What- 

 ever the covering be, it should not be removed till 

 the middle or end of March, unless the quantity be 

 so small that the covering can be very quickly 

 replaced. 



Tea Eoses on walls can be easily protected by 

 evergreen boughs hung on nails ; if fir branches be 

 used, the needles or leaves will begin to drop off in 

 early spring : this has a good effect in exposing the 

 plant gradually, and so hardening it off, but the 

 needles should be swept away and not suffered to 

 work into the soil. It must be remembered in this 

 case and in that of standards that it is no use 

 protecting the upper shoots if any part of the actual 

 iiose below is left exposed. The very lowest part 

 of the Tea Eose as budded on the briar is the 



