198 



GARDEN GUIDE 



STRAW OR REED MATS 

 It Is a fairly easy matter to manufacture a good, stout reed mat or straw mat for 

 protective purposes. A ball of stout cord and the necessary material for the mat; 

 a little dexterity in binding these into bundles, and in twisting the cord, as shown 

 in the drawing, is all that are necessary. These mats can be put to a dozen good 



discuss varieties for a time; then th^ question usually eirises: " What 

 do you use for protecting your Roses? " " WeU," says one, " I 

 believe that a protection for Roses should be merely a sunshade^ not 

 an overcoat, so I just turn a box over the tops of the plants.. They 

 always Winter as well that way as any other." " They really need 

 some protection from the cold," says another, " and I think the only 

 way to protect Roses is to moxmd up aU the teas and hybrid teas so 

 that the soil is almost a foot deep all around them." The third 

 gentleman says that the protection afforded by something placed on 

 their stems, such as rye straw, is best, although paper is an excellent 

 insulator against the cold. Climbers are well protected by laying them 

 down and covering them with evergreens or wrapped in burlap. Any 

 sort of frame packed with leaves is a trifle dangerous, for the leaves 

 axe apt to ferment and cause the young shoots to, start prematurely. 

 Many persons dig their teas each Fall and store in coldframes, which 

 usually keeps them perfectly but is rather troublesome. 



For many trees and shrubs a windbreak will be the proper sort 

 oi shelter from the drying winds of Winter. Trees are apt Uf be 

 injured in Winter by the loss of water by evaporation from the twigs; 

 this cannot be supplied by the frozen roots, and the plant dies. Tem- 

 porary fences may be erected of boards or Corn stalks which will 

 give the required break to the fuU sweep of the wind. Such protection is 

 placed on the south side of broad-leaved evergreens to shield them 

 from the Winter sun. The branches of either deciduous or evergreen 

 trees should be tied up when the trees are somewhat columnar and 

 are susceptible to breaking by wind or snow. This is especially neces- 

 sary with Irish Juniper. 



