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 and 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 and a 

 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 Kadishes they are first-rate, as no other 

 covering is needed for them. 



Eadishes may be sown in these pits at Christmas, 

 and will then be fit to draw in March, perhaps by the 



