12 FRENCH MARKET-GARDENING 



PREPARING THE BEDS. Having marked out the 

 ground, the soil in the beds is then broken up with 

 the fork. The rake is afterwards passed over it to 

 make level, and any clods or stones are drawn into the 

 pathways. Here they are left to be trodden down, 

 because it is generally an advantage to have the 

 pathways somewhat higher than the surface of the 

 beds. If the beds are higher than the pathways the 

 water runs off the beds away from the roots of the 

 plants, so that the latter are likely to suffer. 



The beds should run as near as possible east and 

 west, so that the frames shall slope towards the south. 

 If this position cannot be secured the next best is 

 between the north-west and south-east, the object 

 in both cases being to secure as much light and heat 

 as possible from the sun for the plants beneath the 

 lights. 



SLOPING BORDERS. It often happens that borders 

 cannot be made in sheltered places against walls, 

 hedges, or fences, and they are then made in the open. 



A piece of ground is marked out about 6J ft. 

 wide and is deeply dug all over. On the south side 

 a trench about 2 ft. 3 in. is then made about 6 in. 

 deep, and the soil from it is placed on the northern 

 edge of the remaining piece of soil. This is about 

 4 ft. 3 in. wide, so as to accommodate three rows 

 of cloches when " angled " with each other. The 

 back of the bed, i.e. the northern side, is made firm 

 by patting with the spade, and is kept straight with 

 the aid of a line tightly stretched from one end to 

 another. The trench forms the pathway, and the 

 soil from it serves to raise the bed so as to make the 

 surface incline towards the south. The surface is 



