December, 1911 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



209 



good where vines are planted about build- 

 ings located on terraces. The latter not 

 only freeze and shed water, but are often 

 so exposed as to be subject to the additional 

 drying action of the wind. 



Another reason for vines winter-killing 

 is poor condition of the soil. Some slow- 

 growing plants, if planted in poor, im- 

 poverished soil, will kill back a great deal 

 in winter. In fact, it seems to be all they 

 can do to keep their vital roots and crown 

 alive. The reason for this is that the roots 

 can support only a limited extent of top, 

 and the balance must perish. On the other 

 hand, really tender plants, such as the 

 jasmines, some of the clematis family, 

 and some climbing roses will not kill back 

 as much in a light soil as they will in a 

 rich, heavy soil which gives rise to a lot 

 of top growth. 



This statement may seem misleading, 

 but here are the facts; for vines that are 

 very hardy, and that never show any 

 signs of winter-killing, the soil cannot be 

 too rich; but vines that are considered 

 tender, especially weak-rooters, will pass 

 through the winter much more safely if 

 the soil is not so rich. The reason is, 

 first, that in a light soil a plant will not 

 make as much growth as if the soil was 

 heavy, but the growth will be healthy and 

 short jointed, and, second, the plant will 

 stop growing earlier in the season than a 

 plant which is located in heavy soil. This 

 extra time is utilized in ripening the wood, 

 and thus preparing itself for the attacks 

 of a heavy winter. In other words, the 

 universal law of the survival of the fittest 

 produces amid the less congenial sur- 

 roundings, a strong indvidual that can 



better withstand the rigor of the winter 

 season. 



Grafted plants often kill from the roots. 

 Is is hard to explain the reason for this, 

 as grafting is usually done to improve 

 the hardiness of a plant, but probably in 

 some cases the graft itself weakens and 

 the top slowly dies the following season. 



In addition to the plants that winter- 

 kill because of root troubles as illustrated 

 above, there are some vines which kill 

 to the ground each winter, then start a 

 very vigorous growth in spring, showing 

 plainly that the roots are uninjured. The 

 Kudzu vine {Pueraria Thunbergiana) is 

 a good example of this class. It is com- 

 monly called an herbaceous vine in this 

 latitude, but I have found it hardy with a 

 little winter protection. Ordinarily, to 

 protect tender-wooded plants from winter- 

 killing, we must cover the tops in some 

 manner. Straw can be used for this pur- 

 pose, or pine or spruce boughs, cut in the 

 woods and stuck up against the plant. 

 I have also seen canvas stretched across 

 a vine to save it; but the best method is 

 to take the vine down, lay it out very 

 carefully, making sure that none of the 

 branches is bent very much and apt to 

 break, then cover the tops with leaves, 

 stable litter or soil. The number of sup- 

 posedly tender plants that can in this 

 way be grown in this north-temperate 

 latitude will astonish you. 



With very tender plants pursue the 

 same method, only first cover the tops 

 with soil, well mounded up, so that it will 

 to some extent shed water. After the soil 

 develops a little crust of frost, apply the 

 mulch of leaves, letting the hardiness of 



The proper condition of the soil is important. Tender vines and weak rooters winter better in a rather 

 poor soil because they then have less wood to ripen late. Give slow growers good soil however 



English Ivy (Hedera HeLi may be protected for 

 winter with burlap, or a blanket may be used for 

 the purpose. In this way its foliage will endure 



the plant determine the thickness. Put 

 some rough stable litter on top of the 

 leaves to prevent them from blowing away : 

 do not use anything heavy for this purpose, 

 as it packs them too tight. After each 

 heavy snowfall, shake the leaves up well, 

 and do not, under any circumstances, let 

 them get caked and frozen into a solid 

 mass, as the frost will then surely reach 

 the plant, for it goes through solid matter 

 much more quickly than through loose 

 material. In this way you can winter 

 plants that are considered, by some people, 

 tropical. Such gems as the Marechal 

 Niel rose and the sweet-scented jasmine 

 (Jasminum officinale) can be grown out- 

 side as hardy vines; and surely either one 

 of these plants would pay for the labor 

 involved. 



Plants so situated, on the south side of 

 a building for example, so as to be in a con- 

 tinual drip in winter will sometimes get 

 killed back. The winter-kilhng in this 

 case is quite out of the ordinary. The 

 drip during the day covers the vine with 

 water; this freezes and forms a coating 

 of ice on the vine which becomes very 

 heavy; then, perchance, the wind springs 

 up shaking the vine considerably, thus 

 causing some of the stems to crack. The 

 only preventive is covering the plants to 

 protect them from the drip; the best way 

 in each case being determined accord- 

 ing to the local conditions. 



Animals often cause trouble with various 

 kinds of vines in winter, but not more so 

 with vines than with other plants. Ground- 

 moles will sometimes destroy the roots; 



