CHAPTER XVII 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS 



JANUARY 



Border Carnations and Picotees. Examine plants in the 

 open garden after severe frosts, and press in firmly the roots 

 of any that have become loosened. Seedlings should always 

 be well established before the winter. If the garden is 

 exposed to rabbits and hares, put wire netting a yard wide 

 round the beds. The plants, potted up and placed in garden 

 frames, should have the lights removed entirely in fine 

 weather, but they need protection from rain and cold 

 winds. They require very little water, and this should 

 be applied in the morning, when there is no danger from 

 frosts. Remove all dead and decaying leaves, and if there 

 are any traces of green -fly, fumigate the frames with a 

 nicotine vaporiser. 



Malmaison Varieties. If the flowers are required as 

 early as possible in spring, let the plants have a tempera- 

 ture of 50 at night. Two -year-old plants are invaluable 

 for the production of the earliest blooms. A rather dry 

 atmosphere is best for them at this season, and the roots 

 should be kept on the dry side ; fumigate at once if green- 

 fly appears, as this pest not only cripples the plants, but 

 exudes a sticky substance which is very injurious to them. 

 If a fungus disease appears, remove all diseased leaves and 

 burn them. The later flowering plants may be kept in 



