WINTER PROTECTION AND MULCHING : Page 221

leaves turn brown. Conditions of this kind often follow a severewinter. During a severe winter in which successive freezing and thaw-ing conditions are a common occurrence evergreens are apt to beseriously damaged. Under such conditions it is the heat which causesthe worst injury to the evergreens during these winter months and, ascommonly believed, this is not injury due to excessive cold. A suc-cession of extremely cold nights and warm thawing conditions duringthe day causes excessive evaporation from the leaves which, as hereto-fore mentioned, cannot be replaced through the dormant root system,the soil surrounding which has not been sufficiently warmed to excitegrowth. This evaporation may be stopped by shelter fences or bywrapping the plants with straw "overcoats." Care should be taken,however, to avoid wrapping too tightly, or injury to the plant willresult from heating of foliage. Boxwood hedges also, particularlywhen young, should be covered to prevent winter injury in sectionsof the country where the temperature may fall as low as zero duringthe winter months. Such hedges may be boxed, or they may bebanked with cornstalks or coarse litter and also with evergreen boughs.One of the best protections for boxwood hedges (as well as broad-leavedevergreens) is to be certain that they have a thorough soaking, especiallyduring a dry fall, immediately before the freezing weather begins.