THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



as the beds will require frequent and often sudden 

 attention. 



The lay of the land should afford good drain- 

 age, so that the water will not settle back against 

 the beds; this is of special importance where the 

 beds are to be used as coldframes for the carrying 

 of plants through the winter. 



Where the drainage is at all faulty it will be 

 well to construct a drain in one corner of the beds 

 by digging a hole and setting a porous tile therein, 

 or filling with broken crocks, gravel, or other rough 

 material. The opening should be flush with the 

 surface of the soil, or slightly lower, and be cov- 

 ered with sphagnum moss or a piece of sod, laid 

 grass-side down, to prevent the soil working in 

 and filling the drain. This will carry off any sur- 

 face water that might accidentally find its way into 

 the beds. 



But where the hotbeds are to be used the year 

 round and may be considered permanent construc- 

 tions, it will be well to begin right by draining the 

 land in the immediate vicinity, if low, or by haul- 

 ing on sufficient earth to raise the grade above the 

 danger line. Considerable more soil will be thrown 



out in the first excavation of the pits than will be 



[52] 



