50 VEGETABLE GROWING PROJECTS 



6. Estimate lumber and nails required to make the flats- you will 



need. 



7. What are the relative merits of deep and shallow flats f 



8. How should flats he cared for when not in use? 



9. What does it cost to make flats f 



8. Making straw mats. — Protection in addition to glass sash 

 is often necessary on both hotbeds and cold frames. Of the vari- 

 ous devices used for this purpose, rye straw mats are the most 

 satisfactory. Either hand- or machine-made mats may be pur- 

 chased from dealers or seed supply houses, or they may be made 

 by hand at home. They are usually 4J feet wide X 7 feet long, 

 and from 1| to 2 inches thick. When not in use, mats should be 

 kept in a dry place where rats and mice cannot damage them. 



Straw mats may be made at home as follows : Make a frame 

 of 2x4 inch planks the size of the mats desired. Drive heavy 

 nails along one end of the frame about 6 inches apart. Strong 

 cord, preferably tar cord such as is used for baling corn fodder, 

 is the most durable tying material for use in the making of straw 

 mats. A piece of cord is tied to each nail, stretched the length 

 of the frame, then drawn through a loop of temporary cord on 

 the inside of the opposite end of the frame, and pulled tightly. 

 Two bundles of rye straw, each of a size that can be held con- 

 veniently between the thumb and finger, are then placed across 

 the cords at the end of the frame, with the tops overlapping 

 in the middle. The loose ends of the cords, which should be 

 wrapped on spools, are drawn around the straw bundles and under 

 the tightly stretched cords, making half-knots and drawn tightly ; 

 two more lots of straw are then placed on the cords and the oper- 

 ation repeated until the other end of the frame is reached, where 

 the ends of the cords are tied together. The making of the 



