30 MV HANDKERCHIEF GARDEN. 



cauliflower, tomato and lettuce plants, that were 

 afterwards transferred to the garden. The frame 

 measured about 2 feet 8 inches wide and about 18 

 feet long, and held many hundred plants, in fact far 

 more than the garden would contain, and two-thirds 

 of them were given away or sold to the neighbors. 

 On very cold nights the frame was covered with old 

 gunny bags as an extra protection, and on all sunny 

 days the frame was left uncovered, except in high, 

 dry winds. While not as good as glass for some pur- 

 poses, this protective cloth answers very well for 

 forwarding early plants. Cabbage, cauliflower, pota- 

 toes, peas and lettuce under it did very well. Toma- 

 toes not quite as well, and another year I would keep 

 tomato plants in the window or under glass sash. 

 The frame cost for lumber 50 cents and for the cloth 

 $2.16 =- $2.66. 



Another advantage of such a frame is the protec- 

 tion it affords to young squash, melon or cucumber 

 vines. Seeds of squash planted in the frame came 

 up among the other plants, and as soon as they 

 needed more room, the nearest plants were removed, 

 and finally the frame was wholly taken away and the 

 vines spread naturally over the ground. 



These things were easily carried on at odd moments 

 through February and March, and in April the reg- 

 ular out-of-door work began. By May 7th the fram" 

 had been taken away, and its contents had been 

 transferred to the garden. None of the work in the 

 house or about the frames took more than an hour 

 or two at any one time, and usually the time spent 

 over the work did not exceed fifteen minutes twice 

 each day, say once early in the morning and once 

 towards night. Often it was very much less. None 

 of the work required much strength or skill — onl^ % 



