IO8 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



lighter sash are easier to handle, while the heavier ones 

 sustain less breakage from hard winds. 



Before purchasing sash, inquiry should be made re- 

 garding the type of construction. The joints should 

 always be leaded before the parts are put together, and 

 less moisture will be absorbed in the corners if the tenons 

 do not extend through the side-bars. A light iron rod 

 across the middle of the bars strengthens the sash and 

 prevents spreading. (See Figure 19.) 



A priming coat of paint should be applied before glaz- 

 ing. It is always desirable to buy glass of good quality, 

 although the cheaper grades are often used for this pur- 

 pose. Some gardeners prefer to butt the glass. When 

 this is done, grooves are cut in the sides of the sash-bars 

 in which the glass slides ; but unless the ends of the panes 

 fit very closely there will be considerable leakage, for 

 which reason lapping is more popular. The glass need 

 not lap more than % inch. A 3 x 6-foot sash is usually 

 made for three runs of 10 x 12-inch glass, requiring 18 

 panes for each sash. The glass is fastened by glazing 

 points, and the putty or mastica is applied in the angles 

 formed by the glass and the sash-bars. A better plan, 

 although more tedious, is to lay the glass in putty. After 

 glazing, the sash should again be painted, and the work 

 repeated every year thereafter. When not in use they 

 should be stored in the dry, or stacked. In the latter 

 case several of the upper sash should be nailed together 

 with vertical strips to prevent the wind from lifting and 

 breaking them. If the glazing is done at home and glass 

 bought in wholesale lots, the sash can be made in lots 

 of 50 or more at a cost not exceeding $2.25 each. 



Double-glass sash are also on the market. These 

 possess advantages and also disadvantages. The advan- 

 tages are: (i) Plants are afforded almost as thorough 

 protection as with single glass covered with rye-straw 

 mats, and in many parts of the country double sash 



