The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-10-26

manly officers. Long may they wave"
pvoseet,on OF PInn,s ta winter.
To the Members ef the Horticultural So
ctly:
Having been requested by resolution Of
our society to write for publication an ar
ticle on the winter protection of plants, ]
checrfully comply, promising that should
have been pleased had the task been al,
lottcd to some one more able to do justice
T. the subject, and that ! might have been
a scholar rather than tatol.
plants and shrubs may he claased in
three disisions-hardy, requiring no pro
t,ction-half. hardy, requiring protection
and tender, which are destroyed by
temperature below 32o. 1t is, therefor e,
the half-hardy kind which viii have our at
tention, although without doubt all plants,
eren tie most hardy are benefited. more
or less, by some protection during our
severe and protracted winter.
In order to understand the kind of pro-
lection needed, we must bear in mind that
it is not so much the cold as it is the
heat. or rather, the sudden change from
cold to heat, which Is to be guarded
against, for if we could keep plant fro
zen during the entire winter, and in the
spring gradually thaw it, no injury will
have ensued TO It, To illustrate this more
forcibly, take geranium, which we all
know to be very tender plant, allow it
TO become frozen during the night, the
morning sun thaws it suddenly, the sap
vessels are ruptured and the plant is inev-
itably destroyed; but take the plant in its
frozen state, before the sun strikes it, into
cellar and plunge it into very cold water
the frost is gradually thawed out and the
plant restored.
Evergrecns are peculiarly liable to in
jury from the sun. Asa proof, an ever
green planted on the north side of build
ing will bear unscathed all the fury Of the
winter, while on the south side, similar
! shrub shall be destroyed.
1t will.thus be seen that the philosophy
Of protection consists of preventing, as
much as practicable, alternate freezing
and thawing, for it is this sudden yieissi-
tude which does the mischief.
In order that plant may stand the
winter well, it is of the FIRST importance
that the wood shall be thoroughlyripened.
Should your plants, therefore, have any
green, unripe shoots when winter APP
breaches, cut them off; otherwise such
shoots are sure to be killed AM may pos
sibly injure the whole plant. 1t is also
desirable that the plant shall be Kept as
dry as possible. 4. 10 this end, not only
must it be protected from driving rains,
but ii must be so drained, either naturally
or artlticlally, that no water shall stagnate
about the roots.
With respect to roses, buddcd the pre-
yious fall, it is good practice to wrap
little cotton batting round each bud ta-
king it for granted that the buds have
been inserted in a hardy stock
Perhaps the best plan of wintering half
hardy plants is the cold pit. This is
readily and cheaply constructed thus: Sc
lect spot which is naturally drained, or
which may be drained, dig square or
rectangular hole five feet deep, brick or
plank the sides to prevent the soil from
falling in, and cover with glazed sash hav-
ing slight incline to throw off the rain.
On cold nights cover with straw or litter,
to be removed during the day unless it be-
very cold; the size Of the pit to vary. d,
course, with the number Of plants to be