166 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES. 



prevention of excessive heat. Too little moisture is almost 

 as dangerous as too much. There should be, then, ample 

 watering with a fine spray or sprinkle of water from 

 which the chill has been removed. Most of the time, water 

 standing in the sun for a day will be of satisfactory 

 warmth, but if not, a little boiling water from the kitchen 

 will temper quite a volume of cold water for use in the 

 beds and frames. 



Covering for Beds and Frames. California growers 

 largely substitute cloth for glass in covering hot-beds or 

 cold frames, because it gives afl the protection needed, is 

 also rather more of a safeguard against over-heating, and 

 furnishes shade from too intense sun heat, which is liable 

 to come on any winter day and do harm. This is an es- 

 pecially valuable feature in amateur growing, where one 's 

 attention is apt to be distracted by other affairs. Besides, 

 the cloth is of nominal cost. In the drier parts of the 

 State the "cloth is used without preparation. Where rains 

 are more frequent, water-proofing is desirable. Take 

 white cloth of a close texture, stretch it, and nail it on 

 frames of any size you wish, putting in cross-bars to sus- 

 tain the cloth if the frame is large. Mix two ounces of 

 lime water, four ounces of linseed oil, one ounce of white 

 of eggs separately, two ounces of yolk of eggs ; mix the 

 lime and oil with a very gentle heat ; beat the eggs sepa- 

 rately, and mix with the former. Spread the mixture with 

 a paint-brush on the cloth, allowing each coat to dry be- 

 fore applying another, until they become waterproof. 



To make waterproof cloth with less labor if consider- 

 able quantity is wanted : Soften four and one-half ounces 

 of glue in eight and three-quarter pints of water, cold at 

 first; then dissolve in, say a wash-boiler full (six gallons) 

 of warm water, with two and one-half ounces or hard 

 soap ; put in the cloth and boil for an hour, wring and 

 dry ; then prepare a bath of a pound of alum and a pound 

 of salt, soak the prepared cloth in it for a couple of hours, 

 rinse with clear water and dry. One gallon of the glue 

 solution will soak about ten vards of cloth. This cloth has 



