Frosts; Lifting and Storing 115 



sometimes he bites in spite of our precautions. 

 The tops of the plants show drooping leaves 

 and flowers are almost transparent. Spray 

 them at once with the coldest of water and cut 

 ofif the blooms. If the sun comes out hot this 

 will not help, but if Nature is kind and sends 

 us a cloudy day we will find very little damage 

 done. The lower parts of the plants are safe at 

 any rate, and by cutting away all that is injured, 

 we may have plenty of flowers again. 



Such near-tragedies often occur in mid-Sep- 

 tember, and then weeks may go by without a 

 thought of freezing. When it does come in 

 earnest, however, we must turn our backs upon 

 the garden for two or three days. They are a 

 sorry sight indeed, these poor black things, 

 hanging limply upon the stakes. They must 

 be left there, nevertheless, until the water from 

 the "water-pipe" may go partly back to the 

 roots and give them nourishment for their win- 

 ter's sleep. In our climate, where warm days 

 following a frost may start the eyes to sprout, 

 which are really destined for next year; or where 

 a cold wet spell may cause the sleeping tubers 

 to decay, it is not safe to let these plants remain 

 more than three or four days. 



They must be dug carefully. The tubers have 

 countless fibrous roots running in all directions, 



