THE ROCK AND WATER GARDEN 143 



of itself in windy weather. All that is needed to protect, say, 

 a clump of a dozen Crocus Imperati flowers from wind and 

 rain are four pieces of glass, each 4 inches by 8 inches, one 

 piece 10 inches by 10 inches, and twelve pieces of wire about 

 8 inches long and not less than one-sixteenth of an inch 

 thick. Bend eight of the wires like A in the accompanying 

 illustration, now hold one of the strips of glass so as to form 

 one side of a square about the clump of blossoms, press the 

 lower edge gently into the soil three-sixteenths of an inch 

 deep, then put in close beside it and about an inch from one 

 end one of the A wires ; press this down till the hook engages 

 over the top edge. Then do the same at the other end of 

 this strip, taking care to place this second wire on the oppo- 

 site side of the glass to that against which the first one is. 

 Do likewise with each of the four strips of glass, and a rect- 

 angular box will have been formed quite close enough at 

 the corners to keep off any damaging wind. All that now 

 has to be done is to bend ithe remaining four wires, as B 

 in the illustration, and to put two in an inch or so from one 

 side of the glass box and similarly two in at the other side, 

 and into these wire clips the piece of glass 10 inches by 10 

 inches can be sprung. If the soil or a small stone is then 

 firmly pressed against the four wire supports, the glass roof 

 will be quite safe during the stormiest weather. When this 

 roof glass is in position, it can with a steady pressure be 

 brought down until it is as much above the sides of the glass 

 box as seems desirable to give sufficient ventilation, and yet not 

 allow too much wind to enter. The size of the roof glass may 

 be increased if the ventilation space is to be more than three- 

 quarters of an inch, so that it may spread out far enough 

 to keep out driving rain. It is well to let one end of this 



lass be lower than the other, so as to rapidly drain off all 

 irt and wet. If the height of the flowers necessitates wider 

 strips of glass than 4 inches, it may, in exposed places, be 

 advisable to put a turn or two of flower wire round the glass 

 box when formed, as the extra size will offer more surface 

 for the wind to act upon ; but this has never been a necessity 

 with me. 



For plants like Androsaces and all those requiring a dry 

 crown during winter, the roof glass and B wires answer 

 admirably, provided the glass is sufficiently larger than the 

 plant to intercept driving rain, and I would recommend 

 that the sides be used only for flowering plants, the same 

 to be removed as soon as the blossoms are over. I have 

 used these roof glasses for several years, and have never 



