CULTIVATION IN FRAMES 83 



dried cow-manure should be mixed with it, or failing 

 this some decomposed manure from a spent hotbed ; 

 but fresh horse-manure should not be employed. Some 

 good leaf-mould from decayed oak leaves will -have an 

 excellent effect, if the soil is inclined to be of a heavy 

 nature. Where good loam cannot be got the amateur 

 must make up his compost of old potting soil, decayed 

 vegetable refuse, and such materials. The lighter the 

 compost, the more necessary it is to add cow-manure. 

 The frame and its contents should be so arranged that 

 when all is completed, and the Violets are planted in 

 the bed, the leaves of the plants will be 2, or at most 

 3 inches from the glass, thus getting full exposure to 

 the light. 



When all is ready the cultivator will proceed to the 

 out-of-door plantation and lift the best of his plants for 

 putting into the frame. He must do this work very 

 carefully, in order to avoid giving the plants a greater 

 check than is necessary. They must be lifted with big 

 balls of roots and soil and conveyed, without much 

 shaking, to the frame. In this they should be planted 

 at such distances that they will not quite touch each 

 other, but at the same time nicely furnish the frame. 

 When all have been planted, afford them a thorough 

 watering to settle the roots, and afterwards keep the 

 frame closed for a few days until the plants begin to 



