French Garden. Equipment. 73 



When the lights are in use they have frequently to 

 be opened for ventilation at varying distances, accord- 

 ing to the state of the weather. To effect this readily 

 a " prop," shaped so that it can be used in several ways 

 to make a different size of opening, accompanies each 

 light. A useful size for this is a piece of wood lOin. 

 long, 2in. wide, and lin. thick, with a rebate 4in. deep 



, i t , | Prop for 



cut in one end, as sketch. Light. 



The Cloche or bell-glass is an appliance of special impor- 

 tance. It is not so useful as the frame for general purposes, 

 but is even better for some things, such as cos lettuce. It is 

 always ready for use, it is never the worse for wear, and with 

 care breakages seldom occur. There are several sizes in use, 

 but the one most generally employed is 

 16iin. across the bottom, 15in. high, and 

 weighs about 5|lbs. Cloches of about 

 this size, made in England, cost about 

 1/4 each; they may be imported from 

 France in quantity at an inclusive cost 

 of about I/- each. They are usually 



The Cloche. , .., , , ,, , , ., . 



made with a knob on the top, but it is 



best to buy them with this removed, as they are not only 

 cheaper so, but the knob sometimes causes damage to the 

 plants by acting as a lens in the sunshine ; without the knob 

 they also pack better for travelling and store away better and 

 safer when out of use. 



Cloches should be lifted by pressing a hand to each side. 

 They are carried about the garden on a contrivance called a 

 " cloche-carrier," which is a frame-work of wood with a space 

 at each end on which to place six cloches,, three and three, back 

 to back, or twelve in all. There is a space in the middle for 

 the workman to stand in and he raises the carrier by a handle 

 on each side. The illustration on the next page gives a very 

 good idea of the construction of the cloche-carrier and the way 

 in which it is used. 



When a cloche is in use it is necessary to tilt it frequently 

 on one side or another, according to the direction of the wind, 

 for the purpose of ventilation. To enable this to be done a 

 " cloche-peg " always accompanies a cloche in use. It is made 



