168 THE FORCING GARDEN. 
be seven, or not more than eight, inches long; the 
crank should be five inches deep, set not quite at right 
angles; the handle must rise from the crank gradually 
up to the eye of it. 
The turves ought to be cut evenly, and it can be 
done with ease with this tool; both sides of the turf, . 
i.e. the edge near to the cutter aud the further edge, 
should be of the same thickness. This may be from 
two to three inches. 
The building of the pits should be done while the 
turves are thoroughly wet. The grass side should be 
laid downwards and be well bedded on the one pre- 
viously laid, carrying the walls upright to two anda 
half feet at the back, and one foot six inches in front. 
On the top it will be necessary to lay rough wall plates 
on which canvas sashes can be fixed. These canvas 
sashes are made with a frame of light scantling halved 
and nailed at the corners; on these is tightly 
stretched some unbleached calico, and tacked on them 
securely. These canvas sashes should be made in the 
summer, or at least the material should be dressed over 
with linseed oil and sugar of lead in the summer, so as 
to get thoroughly dry and hard. The oil will do by 
itself, but the sugar of lead dries the oil more quickly 
and makes it hard; two coats should be given the 
canvas, which will render it as transparent as is re- 
quired without the admission of much sun. I have 
found that these pits and canvas lights are equal to 
brick pits, and are capital things to keep plants in; 
while for early Radishes they are first-rate, as no other 
covering is needed for them. 
Radishes may be sown in these pits at Christmas, 
and will then be fit to draw in March, perhaps by the 
