490 THE CULTURE OP SALADS. 



favourable parts of the year, and in the other our markets 

 are supplied from France, it is ohvious that it is as regards 

 the winter and early spring supplies that we want improve- 

 ment. That improvement is easily secured. 



The first and the chief thing to do towards it is to pro- 

 cure some of the large bell glasses (cloches) used by the 

 French for this purpose, which are more fully described 

 in the chapter on horticultural implements. They are 

 cheap — and they require no repairs, and are easily cleaned 

 and stored when not required. The troublesome task of 

 giving air is done away with in their case. Without air 

 on " every possible occasion " the British gardener attempts 

 nothing under glass. !By adopting this simple article, he 



may forego that ceaseless trouble 

 FlG - 291 - throughout the winter and early 



spring. In the hotter weeks of 

 autumn, these glasses are tilted up 

 on one side for an inch or so, with 

 a bit of stone placed underneath; 

 but when once winter comes in 

 earnest, then down they go quite 

 close, and are all through the 

 Four plants of the Lettuce Petite winter in the same condition as 



Noire under the Cloche early . ., _ r .. _ 



in October. what we call Wardian cases. .By 



the way, the French recognised 

 this principle long before we did, and what is more, have 

 made a far more practical use of it. For all sorts of winter 

 salad-growing this huge bell glass of theirs is infinitely su- 

 perior to anything that we use for like purposes. The 

 plants get full light at all times, and, while perfectly pre- 

 served from the filth and splashing of the rains in winter, 

 are not in the least " drawn " or injured by the confinement, 

 the light coming in so freely at all points. 



The glasses are nearly sixteen inches in diameter, and 

 about as much in height. For the winter work they are 

 sometimes placed on a sloping spot with a sunny aspect, or 

 the ground is thrown into beds, each wide enough to 

 accommodate three lines of glasses. In early autumn these 

 beds are made and the plants placed upon them, so that 



