94 



GARDENS AND THEIR MEANING 



The first cold frame, for instance, used in the Boston 

 school gardens was made of planks nailed together to support 

 a window sash three feet by six. This old double window 

 belonged to the schoolhouse and had been lying discarded 

 for years in the basement. Suitable soil was made by mixing 

 loam with barnyard manure. Several hundred plants were 

 easily grown here at one time, and there was space for many 



NORMAL-SCHOOL STUDENTS WORKING AT THE COLD FRAME 



more seeds. In the frame were started different kinds of 

 early vegetables ; and these got under way a good month be- 

 fore the weather permitted planting outdoors. Lettuce, cab- 

 bage, tomatoes, spinach, and parsley throve here beautifully. 

 By the time these had made a good start and had been pricked 

 out once, — in other words transplanted to other boxes, — it 

 was mild enough to transplant them to open ground. Need- 

 less to say, it was worth the trouble. 



