FRAMES. 79 



top of the ground, that is, it is best not to dig the 

 ground out, for the reason that water is apt to 

 accumulate around the roots and the plants in 

 consequence will suffer. Rough pine boards are 

 used for constructing the frames. The back of the 

 frame is usually made of a board twelve inches wide, 

 while for the front a board eight inches wide is 

 required. Frames always face the south, that is, 

 they run east and west. The frames may be made 

 either continuous or in sections. When continu- 

 ous, posts are driven into the ground and boards 

 are nailed to them, so that the frame is just wide 

 enough to take a sash six feet long. The length 

 may be indefinite and will vary according to the 

 surroundings and nature of the land. Ordinarily 

 it is preferable to have several lengths of frames 

 separated by six or eight feet rather than to have 

 one long tier. After the boards have been erected 

 they should be braced every six feet by a one by 

 three inch strip sunk and nailed into the back and 

 front boards level with the edge of each. Frames 

 so constructed will cost about seventy-five cents 

 per running foot. This is without mats or shutters 

 for protecting the plants in very cold weather. 



Mats may be made of straw or burlaps, and 

 shutters may be constructed of wood, or if not 

 made into the size of the sash themselves ordinary 

 twelve foot boards can be used. For burlap mats 

 or boards the additional cost of frame will be 

 about fifteen cents per running foot, which makes 



