December, 19 18 
43 
will reduce the fertility of the ground. Surfaces 
that open up fissures or are damaged by erosion 
should be protected. It is too late to take any 
action at this time, but efforts should be made 
next season to prevent such conditions by cover¬ 
ing the surface with some suitable crop. Heavy 
sowings of rye with some winter vetch added 
are recommended for this purpose. In fact, 
this is an invaluable method of soil restoration 
and should be practiced whenever possible. 
Shielding the Tops 
There is little difference in the result of the 
various methods of protecting the tops of shrubs, 
Pine boughs upright in the ground will 
save many evergreens from sun scald 
To hold the leaf mulch in place, dead 
branches or pine tops are often used 
they could no longer support the tops, and 
when growth started the whole structure failed 
and broke down. 
All new plantings of deciduous trees and 
shrubs should be mulched, and shallow rooting 
trees such as birch, peach, etc., need this pro¬ 
tection for the first few years. This is also 
true of the cane fruits such as raspberries, 
blackberries, currants and gooseberries. 
Annual mulchings of good stable manure 
should be applied to all perennial borders, to 
serve the double purpose of protection and re¬ 
fertilization. Bulb planting of all kinds must 
be protected, also; in this case manure is pre¬ 
ferred, but other mulching materials will do. 
The object is to secure a deep covering, as the 
entire rooting system of the bulbs is within the 
working radius of the frost. 
Frost Protection 
In some cases the protecting material consists 
simply of sufficient bulk to prevent the frost 
from penetrating and doing damage. This is 
true of the protection of vegetables when stored 
out of doors. Leaves are the best material to 
use for this purpose, although hay or other 
loose material may be substituted. Even per¬ 
fectly hardy vegetables such as parsnips should 
be covered slightly, to lessen the labor when 
gathering them. The best plan 
to follow with vegetables is to bury 
them in trenches out of doors 
where they will retain their fresh¬ 
ness. After mounding up proper¬ 
ly with earth the trenches are 
thoroughly covered with leaves or 
litter until there is no danger of 
the frost penetrating. In all such 
cases where the material is used 
for protection from frost it should 
occasionally be loosened up to 
prevent matting. If the mulch 
mats it loses its protecting value. 
It seems advisable to devote a 
few lines to the protection of the 
soil during the winter. Soils win¬ 
ter kill the same as plants. We 
must bear in mind that the soil is 
composed of myriads of small liv¬ 
ing organisms, which if destroyed 
The less hardy slender evergreens may 
be protected with wrappings of burlap 
bushes and small trees. The advisability of 
certain methods varies somewhat according to 
locality. When possible to procure them, pine 
boughs make one of the best materials for win¬ 
ter covering; they may be gathered, sharpened 
at the end and placed in openings made in the 
soil with a crowbar. They should be placed 
between or around the plants to be protected. 
Burlap or other material of this kind is very 
useful for covering the tops of individual speci¬ 
mens. It is advisable to erect some sort of 
framework to prevent the covering material 
from lying on the plant, otherwise the snow 
will sometimes accumulate on the covering, 
freezing the foliage fast and doing damage. 
Very formal plants such as boxwood or juni¬ 
pers are often damaged seriously by the ac¬ 
cumulation of snow. In many cases this is 
heavy enough to break the branches, to prevent 
which the plants can be tied together with 
bands of rye straw or burlap. String should 
not be used, as it is liable to cut the trees if 
any strain is placed upon it. 
Special Cases 
Boards or sometimes the sides of parking 
cases are also used for top protection. They are 
unsightly but in some cases very necessary. 
For instance, at seaside resorts where the salt 
spray bums the plants, something very sub¬ 
stantial like this is needed. 
Tender deciduous plants such as standard 
roses, hydrangeas, etc., may be buried to pre¬ 
vent winter killing. The best method is to 
loosen the roots slightly on one side so the plant 
can be laid over without breaking and then 
mounded up with soil. Small plants can be 
covered by placing a barrel over them and then 
filling it with earth. Climbing vines that win¬ 
ter kill can be taken down from their supports, 
the tops tied together, and buried. By prac¬ 
ticing this I have successfully grown such tender 
plants as the sweet scented jasmine in the lati¬ 
tude of New York. 
Boxwood edgings should al¬ 
ways be covered to prevent dam¬ 
age. The winter of 1917-18 
proved conclusively that, no mat¬ 
ter how well established the plant¬ 
ing, it was apt to be damaged by 
cold. We cheerfully pay insurance 
on our other possessions, so why 
not a small sum to protect our 
plants ? A few com stalks or some 
meadow hay, held in place with a 
few sticks, will save the boxwood. 
Tender tea or hybrid roses must 
be protected to prevent winter 
killing. The tops may be strawed 
in or covered with excelsior. The 
soil should be well mounded up 
around the base of the plant, to 
turn the water away and afford 
additional protection. 
Edge the large planting with poultry wire to hold the leaf mulch 
