The Year in the Crystal Garden 181 



growth gradually so they will make good strong 

 plants for flowering later on. 



It is not too late to put in a last planting of 

 Lilies for Easter bloom. Good strong bulbs of 

 formosum potted now will flower in time. 



Attend to winter protection of coldframes and 

 hotbeds. Frames that ought to be kept warm 

 should have boards placed upright and held in 

 place by stout stakes about six inches outside of 

 the frame. The intervening space is packed 

 with dry manure. Shutters, or reed or burlap 

 mats placed over the glass will afford a good deal 

 of extra protection. 



Watering should be done sparingly during 

 the short mid-winter days so as to avoid getting 

 the soil in a wet, soggy condition. A thorough 

 spraying of the foliage in place of watering can 

 be used to advantage under these conditions, as 

 it will keep the plants fresh and vigorous without 

 the danger of over- wetting the soil. 



Pot up as soon as ready cuttings of Carnations, 

 or other flowers which have been made during 

 the past few weeks. One of the commonest mis- 

 takes with cutting is to let the roots get too long 

 in the cutting bed before they are potted off. 

 Be on the watch to avoid this. 



Start into growth stock plants of Chrysanthe- 

 mums held over after the fall crop. Keep 



