136 



CASSELL'S POPULAK GARDENING. 



man}'- preparations of coal-tar varnish. This adds 

 greatly to their durability if the frames are what 

 are called cool or cold ones. But in cases where 

 hot dung is used under or around the frames, it 

 matters little whether they are painted or not, as 

 the gases in the manure speedily remove the paint 

 or destroy its powers of protection. If good well- 

 seasoned deal is used, it is astonishing how long 

 garden frames will last. 



The length of garden frames is generally mea- 

 sured by the number of lights. Hence we have 

 the phrase, one, two, 

 three, and four-light 

 frames. They are 

 seldom made longer 

 than four lights, and 

 three are the most 

 popular for cultural 

 purposes, one or 

 two-hght frames be- 

 ing more generally 

 used for the raising 

 of seeds and foster- 

 ing of cuttings or of 

 seedling plants. 



The depth and 



Fig. 11.— One-light Frame. 



lights, twelve feet long and six feet wide, and so 

 of others. 



But, of course, these sizes may be changed. 

 Perhaps the most common one-Hght frames are four 

 feet wide and three long. A handy size for two- 

 lights is seven or eight feet long and six or seven 

 wide. Lights are, however, occasionally made larger 

 — four and a half or five feet wide and six, seven, 

 or even eight feet long. But in practice it is found 

 that these are too heavy for prompt and convenient 

 use. The ponderous weight gives rise to serious 



breakages, and there 

 is no advantage, but 

 the reverse, in hav- 

 ing portable lights 

 too heavy. Hencfe 

 the popxilarity of six 

 by four feet port- 

 able frame sashes. 

 Thi'ee-light frames 

 aie also generally 

 preferred to four, 

 five, or six - light, 

 for similar reasons. 

 Neither is there any 

 benefit in having 



Fig. 12.— Span-roofed Frame. Fig. 13.— Hip-roofed Frame. 



the width of frames are, to some extent, partially 

 influenced by their length ; but this is not neces- 

 sarily the case, and occasionally — especially in the 

 gardens of amateurs — one-light frames may be 

 met with of the most enormous and unwieldy di- 

 mensions. 



The width of frames means the length of sash, 

 which is mostly from one to two or even three feet 

 more than its width. The average width of sashes 

 ranges from three feet to four feet, three and a 

 half feet being a common width, and the length of 

 the frame is the breadth of one or more sashes. 

 Thus, the length of a one light-frame will be mostly 

 three feet, three and a half, or four feet, and the 

 width four, four and a half, five, or six feet. 

 Two-light frames will thus be seven or eight feet 

 long and six or seven feet wide, and so on; three- 



larger frames, for assuming that frames and lights 

 are made of uniform sizes, which they should be, no- 

 thing can well be easier than to extend the frames to 

 any desired extent by simply placing several side by 

 side. Or, if that is thought better, the sides may be 

 taken out where they meet in those cases where 

 these are bolted together, and thus two or more 

 frames be converted into one. Not a few cultural 

 advantages may, however, be derived from using 

 frames with a limited number of lights. It gives 

 the culturist more direct and special control over 

 each crop, enabling him to foster one and retard 

 another at will, while the limited space occupied by 

 the two ends, under four inches at the most, is so 

 small as to be immaterial. 



Garden frames having more than one light are 

 strengthened with rafters running from back to 



