Coldframes for Wintering Plants 



195 



stretch a stout wire the length of the frame over the sashes and along the 

 center, anchor it securely at each end to stout posts, fasten it at one end 

 to a half -inch iron rod which is threaded and which passes through the post, 

 an iron plate being on the outside of the post. Then, with a key screwed on 

 the bolt, the wire can be made as taut as desired. Shelter from the cold 

 northwest winter winds is very important. The market gardeners put up 

 a six-foot fence behind their frames as a windbreak. The south side of a 

 house, barn, or row of evergreen trees can be taken advantage of on small 

 places. It will be necessary, too, to put a bank of barnyard manure 



Azalea shed and pits 



against the outside of the frames, both sides and ends, as additional pro- 

 tection from cold. 



The soil in coldframes should be well manured and well dug to get the 

 best results. It is intensive culture, and the soil must be rich and mellow. 

 Care should be taken, too, to see that it is well drained, and the frames 

 guarded against any outside surface flow of water. Nothing is more 

 harmful than a surplus of water in coldframes during the cold winter 

 and early spring. 



When the crop is out of the frames in the spring or early summer, it 



