CHAP. cxvn.

HAI.F-HARDY MONOCOTYLUDO'nE^.

2531

over the surface, in the same manner as the fern does in England. As a singleobject on a British lawn, few, in rarity and singularity, can surpass a handsomefan palm. A plant has stood out in the open air in the Edinburgh BotanicGarden for several winters, with scarcely any protection.

The Chamm'rops humilis, being a plant of small size and slow growth, is veryeasily covered in such a manner as effectually to exclude frost; and, if it is foundworth while to protect the pines and araucarias of warm climates, it surely willnot be thought too much to recommend the bestowing of this care on the onlyspecies of palm yet known which is likely to make a fine appearance in theopen air in British gardens. It may be observed, that the dwarf fan palm,having strong tough fronds, may be protected throughout the winter withoutthe admission of light, which adds greatly to the facility and economy of theoperation of protection. On the other hand, pines, firs, and most dicotyle-donous plants, when protected during winter, not only require the frost to beexcluded, but light and air to be frequently admitted. A cylindrical frameof iron rods, with a cover formed of a slightly convex plate of zinc, manufac-tured by Messrs. Cottam and Hallen, is well adapted for protecting plants ofthis kind. The zinc cover throws offthe rain and protects the plant under itfrom perpendicular snows, while thesides are covered with mats, which canbe taken off or put on at pleasure, andin a few minutes. Fig. 2406. showsone section of the skeleton cylinder,which may be increased to any height byplacing others of the same dimensionsover it; and fig. 2405. shows the zinccover. Covers of this kind are admir-ably adapted for protecting shrubs whichflower early in spring, such as the PaeoniaMoutan , Magnolia conspicua, camellias,

&c.; and in autumn they may be placedover currant bushes, or over Buttner’smirellio cherry trees; by which meansthe fruit may be preserved hanging onthe branches, and fit for the table, tillNovember. Instead of having the skele-ton cylinders of iron, and the cap zinc,the former we should greatly preferbeing made of Kyanised willow or hazel rods, and the latter of oiled paper,or of birch bark fastened to a wickerwork frame. Even if the cap were 5 ft.or 6 ft. in diameter, it might still be covered with plates of bark, such asthat of oak, beech, birch, &c., cut in the form of plain tiles, but larger forplacing round the circumference, and smaller for the centre, and projecting afew inches all round, so as to clear the sides from the drip and perpendicularrain. The different sections forming the sides might also be covered withbark, or, if not with bark, with straw or reeds, unbruised, and placed in a verti-cal direction, so as to throw off side rains. Where these frames are used, theyare commonly covered with straw or hay ropes, or with bast mats; but, thesenot presenting either a smooth surface like the bark, or a channeled surfacelike the straw or reeds, absorb the moisture which falls on them, and thus notonly chill the atmosphere within, by the evaporation which takes place whilethey are drying, but rot the material. We have a great objection to the useof iron in the support or protection of plants, where wood can be substituted,and an equal objection to the preference generally given to wood preparedwith the saw and the plane, and painted, rather than to poles or rods with thebark on. The reason for our objections is: the great disparity between thenature and durability of the protector and supporter, and the thing protected orsupported. The means appear badly adjusted to the end, and the end seems asit were only secondary to the means. It is true, there has been hitherto a

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