Gardening for Amateurs 



which looms large for the grower who uses 

 many cloches. These things when broken 

 are beyond repair, frames are not ; any 

 handy man can soon replace a broken pane 

 of glass. On the other hand, frames cause 

 some slight expense in regard to painting 

 and general repairs. But here again a handy 

 man can do all that is necessary in slack 

 times when the frames and lights are not 

 over crops. 



Markets and Marketing Produce. It 

 is obvious that it is useless to start a French 

 garden on anything approaching a fairly 



sary appliances, and some of the methods 

 of preparing and packing for market. 



Frames and Cloches. In starting a 

 French garden, the necessary expenses of 

 equipment must not be forgotten. The 

 buyer of large quantities can, as a rule, pur- 

 chase at a lower price than the man who is 

 able only to take small lots. Cloches cost, 

 roughly speaking, Is. 6d. each, of 18-inch 

 diameter size. At one time English cloches 

 were made of very clear glass, and the pro- 

 duce was liable to be scorched. I believe 

 this has been remedied, and home-made 



Photo : Siitton & Son.* 



Showing how cloches or bell-glasses are used to protect crops. 



large scale without giving some considerable 

 amount of thought to the subject of markets 

 and the channels for the disposal of produce 

 when it is grown. Gardens started near big 

 towns or cities can as a rule find a market 

 for large quantities locally. Cities such as 

 Liverpool and Manchester absorb a great 

 deal of early produce for the big hotels and 

 restaurants, but most of the selling is done 

 through the markets by commission agents, 

 and too often the grower is at the mercy of 

 these unless or until he can work up a con- 

 nection for himself with shops and hotels. 

 We have now to consider the crops to 

 grow, when to sow or plant them, the neces- 



cloches can be procured of a green tint 

 practically the same as the French. Always 

 remember when stacking these to place a 

 small square piece of wood between them, 

 otherwise they wedge together and are not 

 separated without some risk of breakage. 

 Neither hay nor straw should be placed over 

 them in winter time unless the glasses are 

 stored in a dry place. Lifts or struts made 

 of pieces of wood are used for keeping the 

 glasses open for ventilation. The expense 

 involved in frames and lights is greater than 

 with cloches, but the crops covered and 

 produced are of greater bulk, and in my 

 opinion cost of production is less with frames 



