THE MANAGEMENT OF FRAMES 157 



The delicate part requires judgment chiefly, and not work. 

 You must learn how to keep the air of the frame "just right." 

 With flats we learned that if the earth was too wet, the seed- 

 lings would damp off. Here we have the same danger ; for in 

 a well-watered, closely shut frame the disease may suddenly 

 strike in. Even if this does not happen, the plants may 

 grow soft and weak in a moist and hot atmosphere. So 

 ventilation must be carefully attended to, so that the air 

 shall be not too moist and not too hot. Yet another danger 

 lies in wait, for the air must not get too cold. 



And here the only remedy is to study how to let in just 

 the right quantity of air. But since this depends not only 

 on the temperature of the outer air, but also on the speed and 

 direction of the wind, you must really learn to be weatherwise. 

 You must learn not only how cold the day is when you first 

 go out of doors in the morning, but also how warm it is likely 

 to become by noon. You should know not only how the 

 wind is blowing at night, but also how it is likely to be blow- 

 ing in the morning. 



Are you ready to begin the study now? Do you know, 

 for instance, the points of the compass in reference to your 

 home and the schoolhouse ? Do you know which winds in 

 your locality bring rain, and which bring warm weather? 

 Do you know the "feel" of the air when a frost is coming? 

 Can you read the barometer, with any idea as to what its 

 changes mean? If you can do all these, then you are well 

 prepared for this work. If you cannot, then you should 

 master the signs as soon as you can, not only for gardening, 

 but also to be more in touch with the world in which you 

 live. The aspects of nature mean much for our comfort, 

 of course, but are more important for their revelation of the 

 wonders and the beauties of this world. 



If you can cultivate the instinct for reading the signs of the 



