80 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



In French gardening nothing is done by haphazard, hence 

 the hydrants have a definite position. In comparison with 

 ordinary gardening this system calls for a large expenditure 

 on labour, and unless great care is exercised the cost of this 

 may easily become prohibitive in spite of the large returns. 

 To keep such expense within reasonable limits nothing must 

 be omitted which will facilitate the various operations and so 

 save labour. To this end the garden is laid out, as shown on the 

 plan, in sections of equal size, the dimensions being regulated 

 by the size and number of the frames in use. When the system 

 is properly carried out, the various crops each occupy a given 

 spot in turn, and so the frame bed gradually passes round the 

 whole of the garden. In a full-sized garden each section is of 

 a width to take five 3-light frames end to end. A water-pipe 

 is laid between each section, along the edge of a 3ft. wide path 

 which runs between them and, providing the frames are of the 

 dimensions given lift. 9in. long the branch pipes would thus 

 be 62ft. apart. Hydrants are fixed on each of these pipes at 

 regular intervals usually one for each five rows of frames. 

 As the frames are 4ft. Sin. wide, and a space of about lOin. is 

 allowed between the rows, this fixes the positions of the hy- 

 drants at 25ft. Sin. apart on each branch. 



In planting open-air crops, an 18in. path is left opposite each 

 hydrant, to facilitate watering ; where this is not convenient a 

 reel is fixed at the corner of the bed, round which the hose-pipe 

 can be drawn without any fear of damaging the plants. The 

 hose-pipe should have a rose fixed to the end, free from taps 

 or anything which may obstruct a full flow of water. 



Equipment. The following is a list of the tools and material 

 required for the complete equipment of -a garden of two acres: 

 210 3-Light Frames 2 30 ft. length Hose-pipe 2 Fine, 2 Coarse Rakes 

 2,800 Cloches with rose ends Garden Line 



1,000 Mats 4 Water Cans (3 gal.) Soil Firmer 



4 Manure Baskets 2 Hose-pipe Reels Measuring Rod 



4 Basket Stands 4 Manure Forks Plant Marker 



2 Hand Barrows 2 Bent Forks Planting Boards 



2 Cloche Carriers 4 Spades Washing Brushes 



Cloche Pegs, Props 2 Shovels Gravel Screen 



2 Frame Hooks 4 Hoes, 4 Trowels Wheelbarrow 



4 Dibbers (2 sizes) Soil Thermometer Raffia, Wood-wool and 



Plant Pots Horse, Cart, and Wagon Packing Paper 



