26 THE CARXATION MANUAL. 



and cannot be too strongly insisted on. Indeed, 

 given that the soil is in proper working order, 

 the plants cannot be put into it too firmly. 



They must be watched carefully at first for 

 traces of the work of wire-worm and maggot, but 

 as the precautions against these pests have been 

 made the subject of a separate paper, it will be 

 unnecessary to detail them here. The autumn work 

 is now complete, and the plants may be left prac- 

 tically to take care of themselves during the 

 winter. But as no good management and no skill 

 mil prevent a certain percentage of losses, it is 

 well to keep a reserve of layers (say to the extent 

 of 6 or 8 per cent.), which should be potted, 

 and stood on planks or ashes in some convenient 

 corner. They mil naturally move at any time far 

 better from pots than from the open border. 



This reserve of potted layers should during the 

 winter months be, if possible, protected overhead 

 from drenching rains and snow, but must always 

 have abundance of light and air. The best time 

 to fill the vacancies caused in the borders by death 

 or disease during the wmter, is the first opportu- 

 nity afforded by open weather after the middle 

 of February. It will be easily understood, there- 

 fore, that if these reserves have not been kept 

 thoroughly hardy and exposed to everything but 

 excessive wet and snow, they will inevitably come to 

 grief on their sudden transference to the open border. 



