USE AND MANAGEMENT OF COLD FRAMES. 51 



feet and use it just as sashes are used. Such " sashes," 

 made of protecting cloth,, would cost not more than 

 twenty cen Is each, while glass sashes cost (to say noth- 

 ing of expense in freighting) $2 each. Besides, in the 

 hands of inexperienced cultivators, the protecting cloth 

 is safest, for if this covering is left on in the day-time 

 when the sun is shining, there is comparatively little rise 

 of temperature underneath it, while it is well known 

 that if ventilation of frames covered by glass sashes is 

 not carefully attended to, the crop beneath may be 

 quickly ruined by the sun's rays acting on the glass and 

 raising the temperature. 



The past spring (beginning about middle of March), 

 we covered a lot of Cabbage plants with the protecting 

 cloth for three weeks never once taking it oil night 

 or day and the plants were nearly as good as those 

 covered by gashes, where daily attention had been given 

 to ventilation. Not only will this cloth be found most 

 useful in the winter in the Southern States, to guard 

 against sudden snaps of frost, but to such as raise spring 

 plants of Cabbages, Lettuce, Cauliflowers or Tomatoes, 

 requiring protection in spring at the North, it will be 

 found an excellent substitute for sashes. I do not rec- 

 ommend the use of the protecting cloth in lieu of sashes 

 in the winter months ; it would not answer in heavy 

 snow. But for all spring work, from March to June, it 

 will in most cases answer every purpose. 



SPRING RAISING OF CABBAGE, CAULIFLOWER AND 

 LETTUCE. 



The question is put to me many hundreds of times 

 every season as to what is the best method to produce 

 plants of Cabbage, Cauliflower and Lettuce for early 

 spring planting. Although we still grow several hun- 

 dred thousands of fall sown plants annually (which are 

 wintered over in cold frames), yet increased experience 



