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Work to be done in the Garden . 
so as to dry outside without baking through. The 
soil may he moist if any sticks about them, but any 
drops of water or leaves with wet hanging to them 
must be avoided carefully, and indeed the leaves 
are better lopped off altogether. The roots of 
Scarlet Geraniums keep then like potatoes or 
Dahlias — but in the spring they do best in a little 
warmth, just to start them growing. 
When you take up the plants you should choose 
a nice warm day. Cut the tops of the plants quite 
off, and shake away the loose soil ; then if you put 
the plants together in a wheelbarrow the sun will 
very quickly dry the tops a little where you cut 
them down, as the sap might otherwise cause them 
to decay. Some people dust a little lime and soot 
over them— but I don’t see much good in it, and 
both soot and lime are tiresome things to handle. 
Soot is objected to when our clothes get black, 
and lime is awkward if it blows into our eyes, 
which very often happens if we do not take care. 
Geraniums will do even hung up by a string to 
a nail — so that really there ought to be no diffi- 
culty in preserving them. Still, unless I had a 
place where I could keep the plants safe in pots, 
I am sure I should prefer only taking cuttings and 
keeping them indoors. Where people cannot do 
