COLDFRAMES 71 



In all forcing -hills, as in coldframes and hot- 

 beds, it is exceedingly important that the plants 

 receive plenty of air upon bright days. Plants 

 which are kept too close become weak or "drawn," 

 and lose the ability to withstand changes of 

 weather when the protection is removed. Even 

 though the wind is cold and raw, the plants inside 

 the frames will ordinarily not suffer if the glass 

 is taken off when the sun is shining. 



COLDFRAMES. A coldframe is nothing more 

 than an enlarged hand -box ; that is, instead of 

 protecting but a single plant or a single hill with a 

 single pane of glass, it is covered with sash, and 

 is large enough to accommodate many plants. 

 There are three general purposes for which a 

 coldframe is used: For the starting of plants 

 early in spring ; for receiving partially hardened 

 plants which have been started earlier in hotbeds 

 and forcing -houses ; for wintering young cab- 

 bages, lettuce and other hardy plants which are 

 sown in the fall. 



Coldframes are ordinarily placed near the build- 

 ings, and the plants are transplanted into the 

 field when settled weather comes. Sometimes, 

 however, they are made directly in the field where 

 the plants are fo remain, and the frames, and not 

 the plants, are removed. When used for this lat- 

 ter purpose, the frames are made very cheap by 

 running two rows of parallel planks through 

 the field at a distance apart of six feet. The 



