Straw
This is of great value in gardens, as coverings for protecting plants and vegetable crops against frost; also for placing beneath Strawberry-plants in summer, to keep the fruits from being splashed and soiled by rain. Straw used for covering up potatoes, &c., during winter should be clean and dry; it should also be of a similar description, if procurable, for most purposes of protection. When obtained from stables, in the form of litter, the best may be shaken out, if necessary, and used for surrounding and covering up frames during severe weather; the value of the remainder, for mixing with leaves to form hotbeds and manure, is well known.