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 
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