WINTER PROTECTION 207 



a considerable number of Easter lilies, narcissus and 

 like tall-growing things in pots — at least three large 

 bulbs of narcissus or tulips in a four-inch pot. Place 

 these in a cool dark cellar until the pots fill with 

 roots and growth shows above ground, then bring up 

 in relays as needed. In this way one may have 

 abundance of the loveliest flowers all winter, and these 

 forced bulbs have a freshness and spring-time beauty 

 not approached by any other class of plants. They 

 are perfectly certain of bloom, inexpensive and of 

 such easy culture as to be perfectly safe for the 

 amateur to undertake. 



As far as possible plants should be protected from 

 a low temperature at night but this should be done 

 by making the windows secure against draught and 

 keeping the temperature of the room above freezing 

 rather than by moving them out of the windows at 

 night — ^an undertaking full of annoyance and labor 

 and likely to result in more or less damage to plants. 

 A night temperature of about fifty degrees will keep 

 plants in good shape. Should plants become frosted, 

 however, they should be at once removed to a cool 

 dark room where the temperature can be lowered 

 to barely above freezing, until they thaw out, or they 

 may be taken to a cold bath room and sprayed with 

 water not over 33 degrees. After being frozen all 

 injured leaves and twigs should be removed and the 

 plant brought into as rapid growth as possible. 



