76 GARDENING WITH BRAINS '^ 



Notch, although some are winterkilled when the 

 ground freezes two feet deep or more before 

 there has been a protective snowfall. One 

 recent winter the thermometer hereabouts was 

 twenty below zero before snow came. That's 

 what killed my pansies and irises and most of 

 our bulbs; nay, to our amazement, we found 

 that even the hardy red and white clover every- 

 where on our place was temporarily put out of 

 business. 



PROTECTING FOG 



So far as frost is concerned, our garden is 

 fortunately situated. It has a southeastern 

 exposure, which is considered the best, especially 

 when it slopes a little, as ours does. What is 

 more important still, the Androscoggin makes a 

 curve around our place, and on frosty mornings 

 that river usually supplies a dense rescuing cur- 

 tain of fog, which allows the plants to thaw 

 out before the sun gets a chance to stab them 

 with his rays. Usually, I say, and to that we 

 owe the fact that our com and cucumbers are 

 sometimes saved when families that are not so 

 near the river suffer disaster. But once in a 

 while the fog is too slow, and then — but we are 

 not to be caught napping! 



One summer there was a frost late in June 

 which ruined most of the corn in the neighbor- 

 hood. Ours was saved because we all, including 

 our farmerette friends, got up at four o'clock 

 and covered the young com plants, which were 



