18 DREER’S VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS. 
SEED SOWING IN FEBRUARY. The working of soil 
under glass in February (without heat) is possible or impos- 
sible according to its quality. A stiff clay at that season of 
the year is certain to be wet, heavy and unfit for any kind 
of manipulation, while a well-drained, sandy soil (if not 
frozen) will be loose and friable. 
Philadelphia gardeners enjoy a mellow, sandy loam, 
containing some gravel, the natural soil favoring early spring 
operations under glass without artificial heat. 
In parts of the country where the soil is of a different 
nature, by reason of excess of clay, it is necessary to prepare 
beds and borders in advance, if early spring operations are 
contemplated. This can be done by drainage and by the use 
of sand, woods earth, rotted sod, well-rotted manure, &c., 
&c., worked up and incorporated so as to make a rich, light 
medium. Such a medium, when not actually frozen, is sure 
to be mellow. Litter may be employed as a mulch to pre- 
vent the deep freezing of ground not in use during January. 
PRICES AND PROFITS. On a large scale the gross 
annual receipts from each sash may be set down (under 
present prices) at ¢1 to $2. 
On a basis of a half-dozen sashes it is provable that 
something like the following, per sash, .could be done: 50 
heads of lettuce at 5 cents, retail, $2.50; cucumbers, started 
under glass, $1.00; beans or celery, 50 cents. Total $4. 
Or, if violets or pansies are sown, larger results can be 
obtained, if near a market. Pansies potted and in bloom 
sell well in the early spring. Violets in cold frames will 
bloom delightfully in winter, especially as the days lengthen. 
The price of a so-called six-foot sash, glazed and painted, 
free on cars at Philadelphia, is now (1896) about $2.10. 
Anybody can figure out the cost of the boards needed to 
make a cold frame or hot bed. A six-foot sash, sometimes 
called a ‘‘ three-by-six ’’ sash, is 38 x 72 inches in size. 
