FARM HANDICRAFT FOR SCHOOLS. 19 



slivering. Bore the holes straight into the wood. See directions on 

 page 5. To aid you m boring the holes to the exact depth desired, 

 bore a f-iiich hole lengthwise through a piece of scrap lumber 1| by 

 1| by 4 inches, and slip this on the shank of the bit to form a collar; 

 the bit should extend 2f inches beyond the collar. Bore a trial hole 

 in a piece of scrap lumber with this collar on the bit; if the hole is 

 too shallow, cut off the end of the collar to get the correct length; 

 if the hole is too deep, make another collar. After the holes are 

 bored, trim the edges along the sides of the piece until each opening 

 is f inch wide. Paint or stain the case; this will improve its appear- 

 ance as well as preserve the wood. 



Note to Teacher. — Collections of seeds are very useful aids in teaching agricul- 

 ture. A pupil will get a much better idea from examining the seeds themselves than 

 by reading about them. If you are to do efficient work in crop studies, you must 

 have the seeds and, moreover, they must be arranged in some kind of order and be 

 of convenient access. The seed sample case solves the question of a place in which 

 to put the seeds. For an extended discussion of this subject see Farmers' Bulletin 586. 



Descriptions of weed seeds and methods of eradication are good 

 topics for written lessons. Many weeds have been introduced into 

 the United States from foreign countries; the Russian thistle, for 

 example. A study of the climate and plants of these countries will 

 add to the interest of the geography lessons. Enlarged drawings of 

 seeds as they may be seen under a lens are useful, not only for their 

 agricultural value, but for the drawing lessons as well. 



EXERCISE VII. HOTBED AND COLD FRAME. 



A hotbed is a bed of fertile soil surrounded by a glass-covered 

 frame, usually of wood, and heated artificially. As a rule fresh stable 

 manure is placed in the bottom of a hotbed as the source of heat. 

 A cold frame is a box-like frame covered with glass or muslin. These 

 frames are similar to hotbeds except that no heat is supplied artifi- 

 cially. The sun's rays through the glass are depended upon as the 

 source of heat. The principal use of hotbeds is for the production 

 of plants for early setting. Cold frames are used primarily to harden 

 off plants that have been started in a hotbed. They are used also 

 to mature crops earlier in the season than if they were grown in the 

 field and to lengthen the growing season of certain crops that do not 

 normally mature in a given locality. Temporary cold frames are 

 sometimes built over partly grown crops in the field; lettuce, for 

 example, for the purpose of protecting the plants during the cold 

 weather of early spring and hastening their growth. Hotbeds and 

 cold frames should be set in well-drained soil and should slant toward 

 the south. 



The most common sash used for hotbeds and cold frames is 3 

 feet wide and 6 feet long, with the side pieces, known to gardeners 

 as stiles, extending 2 inches beyond the ends. These projections 



