March, 19 09 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



SI 



See how the through mortise will rot 



outlined. The possession of a coldframe 

 opens up a great field of opportunities. For 

 instance: Do you want violets? And there 

 is no more delightful flower in the winter. 

 Plant rooted cuttings in the frame in July, 

 allowing ten inches in each direction for 

 the double kinds and twelve inches for the 

 singles. Before planting violets, work over 

 the soil thoroughly, incorporating with it at 



For shifting around use the frame made with 

 dovetailed joints and angle-iron corners 



least one-fourth its bulk of thoroughly well- 

 rotted horse or cow manure. After plant- 

 ing, cover the frames with lattice shades 

 to break the direct rays of the sun, for violets 

 revel in cool air. If they are once properly 

 started, further attention during the summer 

 will consist of merely an occasional water- 

 ing and slight cultivation of the surface of 

 the soil, breaking off all runners and decayed 

 leaves. About the middle of October flowers 

 will begin appearing, and should continue 

 until Christmas time. 



In a mild winter, such as that through 

 which we have just passed, when the plants 

 can be exposed to light and air almost daily, 

 the production of flowers will continue all 

 winter. In severe seasons, when the frames 

 have to be protected and subsequently 

 darkened, the plants may be counted upon 

 to start flowering again by the first of March 

 and continue until the first of May. 



Pansies may be wintered over in the same 

 way as violets, but do not require a like 

 amount of protection. For flowers during 

 winter sow seed about June 15th, and for 

 the early spring flowering a month later. 



Cauliflower may be planted in frames 

 where pansies have been all winter, first re- 

 newing the soil to at least twelve inches. 

 Plants should be procured from a florist, 

 in order to get them large and well estab- 

 lished. Eight plants to sash is about right. 

 They will be ready for use about the middle 

 of May. 



One of the most useful and easily grown 



crops of all is Swiss chard. Sow it between 

 July 15th and the first dog days. When it is 

 cold enough to put on the sash, the outside 

 leaves will be up above the frames. Cut 

 these leaves back and you will have a cut- 

 and-come-again crop pretty much all winter. 

 If you want tomatoes a month ahead of 

 the man next door, get well-established 

 potted plants from a florist the middle of 

 March or first of April, and transplant them 

 in the frames, three to a sash, down the cen- 

 tre. If, when the plants get so tall they 

 strike the sash, it is still too cool to leave 

 the sash off altogether, raise them up on 



Ventilate the frame by raising the sash on the 

 lee side or end. Use lattice to break the sun's heat 



stilts six inches or so from the plants. Cut 

 off all laterals and tie the one stem to a stake. 

 Leave them right in the frames. When 

 the month of roses comes, at the first joint 

 of the vines will be ripe fruit, the next just 

 ripening, while the topmost one will be in 

 bloom. 



POINTS IN "CONSTRUCTION" 



A coldframe is essentially a bottomless 

 box set on the earth and covered with glass. 

 Anyone can make such a thing and get some 

 results, but I am thoroughly convinced that 

 for systematic work it never pays to use 

 "make-shift affairs" — you simply lose time 

 and money. If you want results with cold- 

 frames — absolutely satisfactory, reimbursing 

 results— then at least buy sash that are 

 especially made for the purpose. They will be 

 constructed to last, to cast the least possible 



The simplest kind of stay-nails or dowels and the 

 cross-bar "cut in," a weak point 



shade, and be light to handle. If you want 

 to be sure of the sash sliding perfectly and 

 resting tightly on the frames, buy your 

 frames also. 



The efficiency of a coldframe depends 

 entirely upon its conserving the sun's heat. 

 Hotbeds, on the contrary, have sub-frames 

 which confine a closely packed bed of manure 

 the fermenting of which gives off enough 

 heat to the soil above to sufficiently warm 

 the frames in the very midst of winter, 

 and carry them six weeks to two months 

 without need of replenishing. 



The least expensive frame is all wood, 

 and of good quality; two-sash size costs 

 $7.50, or say $30 for a frame of five, all 

 complete with sash. Sap-free cypress has 

 been found to be the most enduring of 

 woods for the purpose. Greater strength 

 and portability are secured by having the 

 corners joined by angle irons bolted or 

 screwed in place. 



The rafter bars placed between each sash, 

 and upon which they must slide, should be 

 dovetailed into the front and back of frame, 

 and will then require no nailing, which 

 makes them readily removable should you 

 want to take the frame down to change its 

 location — a thing that often occurs. This 

 dove-tailing also insures its exact position, 

 so the sash will not bind at any point. 



In this five-sash frame the writer has raised violets all winter. Note the windbreak hedge 



