Horticultural Implements, Appliances, etc. 255 



closely. If I mistake not, one of these mats, which is much better 

 as a protecting agent than a bass-mat, costs about one-third the pre- 

 sent price of a bass-mat, while in point of appearance and amount 

 of protection given the advantage is all in favour of the French 

 paillaisson. The figure given represents a simple frame for making 

 these mats in the nurseries of M. Jamain, the celebrated cultivator 

 of orange trees, and I append his description of it. There are 

 several frames for this purpose, and there is also a machine for 

 making these mats, which are indispensable to the French gardener ; 

 but the one here described is the best and simplest for general use. 

 " Get two pieces of timber (i) about 3 inches thick, 4 inches wide, 

 and as long as required. Pierce these timbers, as shown in the 

 figure, and introduce A in the holes 

 to maintain the same width between 

 the sides, and support the nails or 

 screw, as shown in the cut. These 

 nails are to keep the string tight 

 (5). The board may be shifted 

 from hole to hole so as to make mats 

 of any desired length. The length 

 of the string must be about three 

 times as long as the straw mat, and 

 rolled round a little handle, made as 

 in E. The straw must be placed on 

 the machine so as to have all its cut 

 or lower ends close against the sides, 

 the tops meeting in the middle, and 

 so thick as not to have the straw mat 

 thicker than three-quarters of an inch when finished. The stitches 

 must not be wider than three-quarters of an inch, and be worked as 

 follows (see F of the figure). Take a little of the straw with the left 

 hand, and work the handle with the right, first over the straw, then 

 over the bended string, coming back underneath, and passing swiftly 

 the handle between the two strings, pulling tightly and pressing 

 the straw, so as to have a flat stitch, and not thicker than three- 



FlG. 82. 



