Arkansas weekly mansion., 1884-02-16
Protection for Semi-I.ar,iy Plants.

In giving protection to what are called
lardy OF scmi-hardy plants in winter,
we do not expect to prevent freezing,
for 10 do 80 would in most Instances bo
runouS. Bat many persons seem to
ma zine that ii Il Hate protection Is pro-
ductive Of GOOD. more woIld be still
hctter, and they go To such extremes in
this matt that thu plants are smoth-
cred. instca OF bcinr protested against
injury from cold. Strawberry plants
are usually greatly benefited by Il slight
protection in winter. Int it should al
ways he Il ligi:t covering. iu-t tcnou-h to
shade the Leaves and prevent driving up
by winds sweeping over the surface of
the ground. In Northern localti S,
where the ground is covered with snow
from November to April, no better pro-
lection is rcquircd but where there is
little snow, and the Weather is 50
chang.able that the plants are frozen
one week and thawcd ont the next I'M
der clear ky and warm sun. followed
Dv driving winds, they are pretty cert;. il
to be injured more or less unless pro-
tectcd b. 4 light covering OF hay, straw,
or -omc similar material.
In localities where gTa"c vines are
tender. or likely in have thc.r fr,ri. buds
killed if the stems a e left tied to stake
>
it is seldom necessary to give any more
protc tinn than to lay them down on
the ground where they VII be covered
with snow and ice: it is the cold lry irg
winds that in lure them. rather than the
low temperature. W hen they are
trained on walls or fcncc>, n piece of
cloth or mating Will often prove TO ho
all that is necessary to insure safety To
both vine nj fruit buds. The drying
winds Kill more plants and trees than
low tempo! azure, and in the moist eli
mate 0i The Pacific coast. f ON Oregon
n,rthward to ALASKA. there a~c scores
0f trees and shrubs that VIII no. thrive
in the Il: mate of our Middle States, not
in cons nGucncc Of tie Great heat of sum-
rncr or the cold of winter. but because
of he agvne-s of he air The handsome
Lawson eyprcSs ani The Nootka Sound
cypress Are frequently badly $50, chcd
IN winter. but if projected by Il sheet of
paper or cotton cloth, or even shielded
from tn" wind by some other kind of
evergreen tree. they will pass through
our scycrc>t winters uninjured-
The American holly is found only
spar<ciy distributed as far north rs the
lat tube of this cit, and hc~c it c!ings
to the coast in New Jersey, long Island,
and the north side of Long Island
NDlrltt. itl II NIL thrive 1llllth liiflltr
north when planted among other t ecs
that will afford protection from cold,
cutting winds in winter. We have ono
tree twrnt. Years Old. planted in its
present position some fifteen ycgl< 4 90,
that has never hal a leaf ihjurcd in
winter while two others of the same
age. and growing within one hundred
feet of he CORNER, are SCOrchci more or
les, ever winter. The first is pro-
tectcd from the north winds BY group
of arbor vitls. while the others are not,
pYd this IS the only reason VIII, that
one succeeds 50 much better than the
Othertvn.
The farmer ALWAYS feels that his VIM
ter grain i safe a> long rs ii is covered
with Il mantle OF snow: but when this
does noEcomc or it disappears from
his fields. and the winds sweep over
them. driving up the surface soil and
<corching the leaves of the Young grain,
he knows from long experience that
there is danger, and it viii increase
ever, dav that such conditio ions exist.
Further south, whore SHOWS seldom
come to protect fall-sown grain. it is
even more likely TO be INJURED b. cool.
driving w.nns IN winter than in colder
regions. Hence the necessity of top
dressing with some coarse matc:lal. and
protecting he fields with ba!:S of trees
that will brenk the force of the winds.
1t is but little protection that plants
need under the ariiti ,al conditions in
which the are placed m cultivation.
but that little is necessary to insure full
dcvelopmcnt.-N. !. sun.