PARK AND CEMETERY 
182 
WINTER CARE OF TREES. 
To many it may seem that trees requii^e no care from 
us in winter. In fact, the most of us act as if we be- 
lieved this, for who is there among us who gives at- 
tention to them after winter sets in ? 
In this vicinity the past winter taught a costly but 
valuable lesson to those willing to learn. Row after 
row of evergreens in local nurseries and specimen after 
specimen of the same on the private grounds of the 
wealthy were killed outright by drought, and this loss 
could have been averted had it been understood that 
these trees were dying for the want of water. 
One of the commonest occurrences among those 
having the care of trees is to let the subject of outside 
trees pass entirely out of mind in winter. This is not 
from want of appreciation of the fact that a tree, shrul:) 
or plant of any kind must have water or it will die, but 
comes from the security the rarity of such losses oc- 
curring in winter gives. The number of evergreens 
lost last winter, dying for want of water, was 
enormous. The autumn was extremely dry, and win- 
ter set in and passed with but the slightest rain and 
snowfall. To add to all, though the cold was not in- 
tense, it was continuous and accompanied with high 
dry winds. What else was before evergreens but 
death ? It was not alone foreign evergreens ; the native 
hemlock, arbor- vitae and junipers suffered as well, 
proving that it was the drought and not the cold. 
When spring came and thaws were in order, to many 
it was a wonderment where the mud was they were 
accustomed to in other springs when winter broke up. 
It takes but little thought to understand that without 
moisture trees will die, just as will a geranium in a 
window in winter to which water is refused. 
These facts of trees dying as they did have led me 
to think it important to call attention to the subject 
now, as there are measures to be taken which assist in 
the protection of trees and shrubs in such an ordeal, 
and further, because in Pennsylvania at the present 
writing — November — we are in precisely the same 
situation we were at the same period last year. The 
soil is dust dry to a considerable depth, and freezing 
weather is already with us. In the first place, where 
the ground will permit it, give a good watering to any 
tree likely to be in want of it ; evergreens will be the 
chief ones, and let the first ones aided be such as were 
recently transplanted. After this, place about the base 
of the tree a good mulching of some material such as 
hay, straw or leaves or long manure. This will act 
beneficially in two ways — keeping the soil moist and 
keeping the frost out. I forget where, but think it was 
in some ladies’ journal, that I read recently what the 
editor of the horticultural department had to say about 
the protection of plants in winter. He said to let them 
freeze solid, then mulch to keep them from thawing. 
Believe nothing of the kind! Keep the frost out and 
the plants will winter very much better. It is better 
to have them frozen solid than continual freezing and 
thawing; it is better yet not to let them freeze at all, 
of course referring to the roots. 
There were times during last winter when it was 
feasible to water many an evergreen during partly open 
spells, and had it been done many a fine specimen 
would be alive to-day. There comes to mind a speci- 
men of Magnolia grandiflora, which was some twelve 
feet high by as many wide, which was killed to the 
ground, but which could have been saved in two ways. 
One way would have been the giving it a good water- 
ing, which could have been done more than once dur- 
ing open times ; the other the cutting off of all its 
leaves, lessening the call for moisture. This last plan 
would have saved it if practicable. It is not practicable 
to cut off the leaves of coniferous evergreens, but it is 
of hollies, the magnolia spoken of and some other 
broad-leaved sorts. We do not want to defoliate our 
rhododendrons, but these and all evergreens can be 
given great help by sheltering them from the wind. 
Place something on the side cold dry winds come from, 
even if but branches of trees. This, and the watering 
and mulching, will preserve many a tree which would 
be lost otherwise. And it is repeated, keep in mind 
that trees must have water in winter as well as pot 
plants, and what best to do will be apt to suggest itself. 
Joseph Meehan. 
A CROCODILE CEMETERY, 
A cemetery entirely devoted to crocodile mummies 
has been recently discovered in Egypt. It was ex- 
humed by Bernard P. Grenfell and Arthur S. Hunt, 
who, in the interests of the University of California, 
were exploring for papyri, says the New York Jour- 
nal. 
In this curious graveyard thousands of crocodiles 
were found, ranging in size from those large enough 
to swallow a man whole to baby crocodiles. Numer- 
ous sham crocodile mummies, which, when opened, 
proved to contain merely bits of bones or a few eggs, 
were also discovered. 
Many of the crocodiles were wrapped up inside one 
or more layers of papyrus sheets, while vacant spaces, 
especially in the head, were stuffed with papyrus rolls. 
To the north of this cemetery the ruins of a temple 
formerly devoted to the worship of the crocodile 
god. Sebeh, were brought to light. 
These finds will be divided between the museum 
of Gizeh and the University of California. 
A number of other interesting discoveries are re- 
ported by American explorers in Egypt, consisting of 
tombs and other architectural and sculptural relics. 
