Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-03-14

NAL plants OF our gardens are passing the
winter in perfect security. Since the wan
ton and ruthless destruction OF our forests,
which has offered to the unbrided winds H.
cense to sweep the SHOWS from our unpro-
tected fields, and which has doubtless rem
dcred winter thaws more frequent, swfter in
their approach and progress and more eff
cient to destroy the light and warm mantle
which the all-bene6cent economy of Mature
spreads over the earth on the approach OF
winter, to protect the plants nesting on its
bosom, we do not often have a winter so fa-
vorable for the safe Information Of plants as
the present one thus far.
We hardly realize with sufficient clear.
ness the fact that there may be different de-
grees of frost in frozen things. have just
related how found the temperature of snow
to vary from FIVE degrees below zero to thir-
ty-two degrees above; and a much wider
range than this is possible, for the TEN.
perature Of drifting or falling snow will
correspond with that of the atmosphere
through which it moves. however that may
be. SO, plant, or any other body, may
freeze solid, and yet 60 on freezing, till it be-
comes intensely frozen. Nearly every win.
ter the twlgs of our trees in orchard and
woodland, borne high above the warmth of
the earth, are subjected, even after they are
frozen, to sixty degrees Of additional frost.
Is it remarkable that many species, indigo
nous to lower latitudes, or in mlder soth-
erms, should have their cells ruptured by
such degree Of FROST or that the life.prin-
ciple, operative in the living tree in winter
as well as in summer should be arrested
or destroyed?
Excepting ANNALS, our native and intro
duced plants will endure several degrees of
frost without receiving injury in any wise.
1t is very severe freezing or repeated freezing
and thawing alternately even if the freezing
be but slight, that enfeebles or destroys
plant And it is by means OF the snow that
provision is made in nature against these
disasters. ln the beginning of winter the
earth and the plants upon it may become
frozen, but if SHOWS follow, the plants will
hardly be subjected to more than ten degrees
of frost, even though the earth continue to
freeze to some DEPTH and, if the snow only
remain till spring, to preserve the plants
from alterations of heat and cold, those per-
feet conditions designed in the plan of crea.
tion are secured.
In the garden where we foster choice
plants from every climate, We find cover
ing Of leaves from the woods an almost inds-
pensible adjunct Of the snow in covering ten
der plants. The leaves remain on duty even
though the snow must vanish before the south
wind. With blanket of both these often
exclude the frost entirely from beds of ten
der bulbs. Even the gladIoIus | refer to
the tender, not the hardy species) l have
wintered in the ground with this protection.
Unless tulips and other hardy bulbs are COW
cred in winter with leaves or other litter,
the freezing and thawing to which the bulbs
will be exposed in ordinary winters will in
jure if not ruin them. On the island of
Montreal, however, tulips are grown in per-
fectiOn without such covering. There the
snow can be counted upon to exclude all frost
from the ground.
Should the present generous covering of
snow remain on our fields till spring, how
lively and strong would vegetation spring up.
This winter brings to mind what old people
have told us of the prevailing character of
the winters of Vermont in its earlier days.
If the mistaken policy of her landowners has
changed that character for the worse, it is in
their power to restore, in good measure,
what has been lost.
Reed Grass.
My friend, NJ. r. Keep, of Maine, kindly
sends me few heads and leaves of the grass
which he has described in the FARMER, under
the name of Mammoth Blue Joint" | |
find it to be PhragmiteS communiS of |
Prinius, or Ay1tndo pFragmites of Linnaus.
Gray gives its common name as Reed. 1t is
a tall and stout perennial, five to twelve feet
high, (Nlr. Keep writes NE that he has seen
it sixteen feet on the river St. john, with
leaves one to two inches broad,
aud large nodding panicles with flowers con-
spicuously silky, bearded at their base. 1t
is common northward on the edges of ponds
and streams, and at distance looks like
broom.con. dc not know what value it
possesses as forage plant but have read
a remark Of Professor Gould's, that it has
coating Of silica so thick that it would cut
the stomach OF animals. However that NAV
be, its yield must be immense, and when
abundant il should be secured, if only to be
used for purposes of making mulch and
manure.