344 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



back, 6ft. wide, and 60ft. long, three of them providing space 

 for the plants needed for one acre. 



The timber used in the construction is 6in. by lin. unplaned 

 yellow pine boards, in 12ft. lengths. Two boards for the front 

 and three for the back are held together, one above another, 

 with cross-pieces of 3m. by fin. lath, nailed on. The 60ft. frame 

 is thus constructed in five 12ft. sections. The back and front 

 boards are stood on edge and held in position at the foot by 

 pegs driven into the ground at suitable intervals, and at the 

 top by Sin. by lin. battens, nailed across from back to front at 

 intervals of 6ft. The end boards each take 2i pieces 6in. by lin. 

 6ft. long, the top board being sawn diagonally from corner to 

 corner throughout its whole length, thus forming the necessary 

 slope from back to front. The hurdles for covering are 6ft. 6in. 

 long by 3ft. high, and each has four horns, two at top and two 

 at bottom, projecting about 6in. Straw, about 2in. thick, is laid 

 across the hurdle to the extremity of the horns, so covering a 

 depth of 4ft., and this is held in place by three sticks laid across 

 the straw, lengthways of the hurdle, and secured by nails. 



Two hurdles cover one 6ft. section of the frame, the lower one 

 being laid on first ; the bottom edge of the upper hurdle over- 

 laps on the lower one, thus forming a roof which is impervious 

 to any ordinary rain or frost. One end of each hurdle rests on 

 the batten which crosses from back to front of the frame and 

 the other end overlaps on the preceding hurdle. A space of 

 3ft. is left between the frames. When the hurdles are taken 

 off each morning they are leaned against the back of the frame 

 in such a way as not to project above it and so keep direct 

 sunlight from a portion of the frame behind ; or they may be 

 utilised during the daytime as a fence round the frames to 

 shield the plants from cold wind. 



The approximate cost of the materials (delivered within a 

 reasonable distance) required for completing these three 60ft. 

 frames is as follows : 



83 boards, 12ft. long, 6in. by lin., at 6/3 per 100ft. run ... 3 2 6 



27 battens, 6ft. 3in. long, 3in. by lin 060 



150ft. 3in. by fin., 3/9 ; 72 pegs, (say) 5/- ; nails, (say) 2/- ... 10 9 

 30 hurdles at I/-, l 10/- ; half load straw, 12/- 220 



6 1 3 



