Protecting Shrubs And Vines

We find in an English magazine the followiiig remarks concerning the proteetion ot' such shrubs and vines as aro injured by the extreme rigors of the winter. Some of our readers muy be glad to proiit by theui, though to many the methods advisod may be already quito familiar. We migüt'add to what our English friend suggusts, the tact that coarse evergreen boughs, stuek in the ground around the more tender and valuable evergreens, wil] guard thein aguiust their most formidable eneinies, the cold stutrp wiuds, and tho bright morning sua, shilling upon the frosted foliage : 'There are few good gardens which do not contain snjall shiubs that requiro a slight winter protection. llhododendrons, Rosea, and a few of the more delioate evergreens are the plants generally protected. The usual niethcd of duing this is to tie them up with long, straight straw, drawing the branches in close together, forming a conieal bundie tha-t oücuo Kun ui öuuw. u ciwes aua meir suburbs one aan see thousands of planta done up in this kind of ' strait jacket' every winter ; and I have known a good many to como out in the spring as dry as pipe-stems,,and of course dead. Such straw jackets rnay answer very well for deciduous shrubs, but the leaves of evergreens require moisture even in winter ; and a far better plan of protection is to place several stakes about tho plants and put straw or hay in looseiy about the brunches and stem. The stakes may be set leaning in towards tho stem, forming an open, loóse cono that admits rain, but does not retain a largo quantity of snow. All that is required tor such plants is a slight shading and something to ward off the cold and dryiiig wind ; buf, there is no use attempting to prevent freezing. All tender decid uuus shrubs I protect by laying them down and covering with soil ; and evergreens by with straw or hay, -held in place by stakes or oose bands. "No cluss of planta are more easily jrotected in winter than climbers, and yet fow persons seem to know how to do t. 1 have often seas largo plinte of Clematis and Hoieysuekle enclused in a traw or bas":mat jaoket, trom the gi-ound up to the fopinoát slioot, requiriug nn hour of time to eaoh plant." wln-iftivc minutes would be sufliciont tor gjvii a uiuch bet ter proteotion. TIn, „íoiv tender soits, as souie of the ohoice varieties of the Ulaiuatis, luay be ooik-d abuut the stakos close to the gmund, then covered with eartli or a Httle coarse manure or matting. 1 have piotected scores oí' half-hardy oliiiiberg iu this nninner, ana nevar lost :i plant fröm the effects of cold. The balf-ha'rdy Cleniatises in particular are greatly 'beiioflted by this kind of protection, and their buds remaïn plumj) and healthy, and they bloom much tnore freely in consequence." - Fhwer Oorden.