210 Commercial Gardening 



they are easily attached by a stout iron or wire pin as shown in fig. 520. 

 The advantage of this is, that when the frames are no longer in use in 

 the summer months, they are readily taken to pieces by removing the 

 pins, and the planks are stored away in a very small space until wanted 

 again in autumn. Being cut to uniform sizes, back, front, and sides, 

 there is little to be feared from mixing the boards up, and the pins 

 are easily stored by threading a piece of wire or string through them. 

 A handy man can easily make the frames, but they may also be obtained 

 from dealers like the Cloche Company at a reasonable rate. 



Lights. The correct size for these is 4 ft. 5 in. by 4 ft. 3 in. They 

 are made of deal, or with the bottom rail in more costly oak or even 

 iron; and the sash bars, of which there are usually three, are best made 

 of narrow T pieces of iron. In this way, although top putty must be 

 used for the glass, very little of the essential light is excluded during 

 the winter months from the crops in the frames. The French frames 

 differ from those in English gardens in having no horns to knock against 

 a man's shins when walking in the narrow pathways; and even the 

 movable handles, made of stout wire, are placed on top of the wood instead 

 of on the edge, for the same reason. There are two little iron catches 

 screwed into the wood for each light. These prevent the light slipping 

 off when lifted at the back to give water or ventilation. 



Cloches or Bell Glasses. These constitute one of the most con- 

 spicuous features of a French garden proper from October till May. The 

 orthodox size is made of clear glass with a slight blue- 

 green tint, and measures 17 in. in diameter across the 

 mouth, and is about 15 in. deep (fig. 521). Each cloche 

 weighs about 5J lb., and will hold 6 gall, of water. With 

 ordinary care they last a lifetime, the original cost being 

 about 5 per 100. If not broken or cracked too badly 

 cloches are easily mended with strips of linen and white 

 Fig. 52i. cioche lead to hold the cracks together; or by small square 

 pieces of glass stuck on with white lead at intervals 

 where necessary. At one time each cloche had a knob on top, as in the 

 illustration. As, however, this acted as a lens for the sun, and burned the 

 Lettuces, &c., beneath, the knob has been dispensed with by all French 

 market gardeners. 



Cloches have been and are still used largely in English market gardens 

 for the protection of early Cauliflowers and other crops, but the changes 

 are not rang upon them so regularly and ingeniously as they are in French 

 gardens, as may be gleaned by a reference to the diagram at p. 220. 



In the springtime, when the sun is becoming powerful, and there is a 

 danger of the Lettuces or Cauliflowers, &c., beneath the cloches becoming 

 burned, a little whitening is rubbed over the south top side for shading 

 purposes. Unless a heavy rain comes, one application may be sufficient 

 for the season; and to ensure that it will be so a handful of fat or butter 

 is often mixed with the whitening before use. 



