THE ELOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
25 
in dimensions. One of five or six feet in height, and the same in 
breadth, will be found very useful, and if made of light poles, will 
not be too heavy for even a lady to remove. 
The covering for the frame may be made of bast matting, old 
carpet, floor cloth, tarred canvas, or, in short, any fabric capable of 
being securely fastened. The tarred canvas will be found an excel- 
lent material, on account of its waterproof qualities, and strips of 
floor-cloth are equally useful ; but these will need nailing to the 
frame, and should overlap each other. When placed before the 
plant, the frame will, of course, be arranged in a slanting position ; 
and, if necessary, may be secured by a short hooked stake driven into 
the ground at the foot and at the top by a staple and cord. It will 
be understood that these frames are only to be employed when frost 
threatens ; in mild, open weather their use would be injurious to 
most of the shrubs, and likely to cause a premature growth, which 
must be carefully guarded against, as much of the success in pre- 
serving the more delicate of this class of plants during winter, 
depends on their energies being kept quite dormant. It is for this 
reason, that when the shoots are well ripened, they often suffer less 
in mid-winter t' an in early spring, when they commence their 
growth. 
We have referred only to the Tacsonia Halrothamnus , but our 
suggestions are equally applicable to other wall-plants of a tender 
character. 
Armed with a few of the portable frames, the amateur horti- 
culturist will be able to preserve many greenhouse plants, usually 
supposed to be too tender to endure our winters, such as the splen- 
did Clianthus, the Pittosporums, the Acacias, Photinias, Camellias, 
Magnolias, Myrtles, and many others. 
Tender Shrubs and Haw-shrubbt Plants. — The protection of 
this class of subjects involves, perhaps, a little more care than the 
preceding, but the same principles must be kept in view. A great 
point will be gained if the roots of shrubs can be screened from the 
heavy rains so characteristic of our autumnal seasons ; and this can 
be accomplished without difficulty, by applying two of the wooden 
semicircles, referred to in the previous page, around the base of the 
stem, so as to form a complete disc. In many cases, such a pro- 
tection applied early, would so materially check the production of 
young wood, and assist the ripening of the shoots, that it would 
alone be sufficient to prevent injury by subsequent frosts. There 
are a few plants, however, which need a covering of some description, 
and of this number is the tree Paeony ( Moutan ). This splendid 
plant, our readers are aware, does not die annually, but possesses a 
shrubby habit, and, like the herbaceous kinds, commences its growth 
in early spring, whilst frost is yet rife. It is at this period that 
protection is chiefly required ; and it may be afforded by driving a 
few upright stakes around the plant, and arching over these two 
stout osiers, placed cross-wise, their ends being secured to the stakes 
by tarred strings. Over the top a piece of waterproof material can 
be thrown at night, and secured with string to the stake. The same 
kind of covering may be used for all tender evergreens of large sizes, 
January. 
