24 
THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
culatus, Tacsonias, Sollyas, Mandevilla, Myrtle , and Clianthus 
puniceus. 
In protecting these, and indeed all other plants, it must be borne 
in mind that, in many cases, it is not so much a low temperature 
that is to be dreaded, as its association with sodden soil and un- 
ripened tissues ; could these last conditions be guarded against, the 
protection of many plants would be comparatively an easy task ; our 
endeavours must, therefore, be directed to preserving the soil around 
their roots in as dry a condition as possible. 
The Tacsonia mnnicata, appears likely to fulfil our anticipations 
of its comparative hardiness. A specimen of ours, planted against a 
wall, has covered a considerable space. We intend to place over its 
roots a semicircle of wood, eighteen inches wide, and an inch thick, 
the straight edge of the board to be placed against the wall, and a 
small notch cut out for the stem of the plant. The board will be 
raised above the soil, by two or three cube-like feet, and the space 
between it and the ground stuffed with some dry materials, hay or 
fern. The stems themselves will be left exposed as long as the 
weather is mild ; on the first approach of frost they will be cut down 
to within four or five feet from the ground, and the whole be gathered 
into a bundle, around which will be wrapped one or two thicknesses 
of bast matting ; this, however, being so liable to become soaked by 
heavy rains, in which state it would be worse than useless, will be 
covered with a piece of waterproof calico, or oil cloth, the top or end 
of the bundle being also tied over with this material. Thus, the 
bast will act as a non-conducting medium, and the waterproof calico 
will preserve the whole in a dry state. With these precautions we 
fully believe that the Tacsonia will take no harm, even with the 
thermometer as low as 18° or 20° Fahr. ; such of the surface roots 
as extend beyond the wooden semicircle may perhaps be killed, but 
the plant itself will not suffer. The Mandevilla may be treated in 
a similar way, and all other deciduous climbers requiring protection. 
The Habrotliamnus will need little more than the covering of the 
roots we have recommended for the Tacsonia ; on a west wall, where 
its shoots will receive but little excitement from the sun’s rays, this 
beautiful shrub will bear some degree of frost uninjured without 
any protection, especially in dry soils ; some provision should be 
made, however, for covering it in severe weather, as the flowers are 
produced at the ends of the branches, and these are precisely the 
portions of the plant which would first sutler. We know of no 
better plan of affording this temporary shelter than by placing in 
front of the plant a frame covered with matting, or old carpeting, 
and sufficiently large to extend some inches beyond the plant on all 
sides. 
Such a frame may be made in any style, and with any materials, 
from smooth deal splines put together, secundem artem, to rough 
poles cut from a coppice, and tied at the corners with a strong cord. 
These last may be made to answer every purpose, and need not 
be more than one inch in diameter, except for large frames. The 
size of the frame will, of course, vary with that of the plant to be 
sheltered ; it will be a good plan to prepare several of them differing 
