382 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15. 



cloth cold-frame in the distance. The third shorter in order to clear the curtain-roller If 

 is a view of one of these cold-frames with its made shorter, however, they do not hold the plank 

 covering of pine leaves and straw, to protect ^9 securely from warping:. I have had some e.xpe- 

 the plants from a severe frost. In the picture "e°ce m tins line witli plant-beds. Tlie herry- 

 you will notice that the covering has been t^'t^ '^^fTx^i::^ "^^'^^^^ ^'^l 



boug-h t very cheaply 

 without bottoms. Friend 

 Dny})astliem nailed up. 

 rig-lit on hisg-rounds. just 

 as they are used in the 

 bed. Now. with us we 

 would drive a very lively 

 trade in pelling- plants, 

 box and all. In fact, we 

 have quite a few custom- 

 ers who would give a 

 nickel for a nice tomato- 

 plant growing- in a box. 

 It is true, however, tliat 

 it requires more care to 

 grow plants in boxes than 

 in the entire level sur- 

 face of the ground, espe- 

 cially during a dry time. 

 As friend Day suggests, 

 they will dry out, and the 

 plants will die; whereas, 

 if they stood right in the 

 bed there would be no 

 trouble. Wliere a bed is 

 filled with these boxes, 

 the dirt is first shoveled 

 up in a lieap, down to 

 about four inches in 

 depth, then the bottom 

 is nicely leveled off. and 

 the boxes placed in. tight 

 togetlier. Now the dirt is 

 shoveled into and over 

 them, until a strip of 

 board can be passed over 

 so as to level otf the dirt, 

 as you would sti-ike off a 

 measure of grain. Now 



ONE OF TIIE3CLOTH COI-D-FEAMES, WITH ONE SIDE FIXED FOR \ SEVERE ^*^* ^'^'^ plants, one in the 



FROST. center of each box. 



removed from one side of 

 the bed. the oth<'r being left 

 on. With a rake, and sort 

 of brush or broom made of 

 branches of trees, this light 

 covering can be thrown off 

 or brushed off very quickly. 

 It is left on the ground at 

 the foot of the curtain, 

 where it will be ready for 

 use the next spell of cold 

 weather. When a frosty 

 night is coming, his men. 

 with appropriate forks, will 

 scatter the litter over the 

 canvas beds very quickly. 



The last of this series of 

 pictures is a wood engrav- 

 ing. We copy the descrip- 

 tion from the tomato-book. 



It also gives a nice idea of 

 the way in which the cloth 

 frame, double width, is con- 

 structed, e.xcept that the en- 

 graver has shown the stakes. 

 that hold the plank sides, on 

 the insick of the bed instead of 

 the tnitsklc. I suggested to 

 friend Day that I thought the 

 mside preferable. His objer- 

 tion was, that they occupied 

 room that might be used for 

 plants; and wiien I still sug- 

 gested havingthem on the inside 

 instead of the outside, so that 

 they would be entirely out of 

 the way of the curtains, he 

 replied that they made them THANSPLanting wrrii and without BEKRY-BOXES. 



