THE GARBEXER. 



29 



hotbed earth ; by being so near the glass as they 

 are in these frames, they advance more rapidly than if 

 they ^yere in the houses ; and receiving fresh air so 

 readily, they are not in danger of being too much 

 drawn up. He generally has a great number of Cacti 

 under one of those frame glasses during the summer, 

 but removes all the plants to their winter apartment at 

 the end of September, as the rain and cold, which 

 would inevitably gain admittance through the glass 

 which has so little slope, would destroy them. 



You will find it always expedient to have at least 

 three sizes : — No. 1, small and moveable ; No. 2, larger, 

 with a fixed frame and moveable sashes ; No. 3, high 

 enough behind occasionally to contain tall plants, and 

 large enough to admit many of the usual inmates of 

 the greenhouse in the summer months, and any of 

 them may serve as an infirmary for delicate plants that 

 may require change of air and situation. 



For many purposes pits enclosed by stone or brick 

 walls are very convenient — a shallow frame can be 

 placed over them to hold the sashes, running up and 

 down in grooves ; or seeds and plants which do not 

 require glass, and yet need some covering in hard 

 weather, may be easily protected within the enclosing 

 walls with the assistance of a few stakes or rods, by 

 any sort of covering thrown across from wall to wall. 



For small seed beds with frames, coverings of oiled 

 paper or calico* (waterproof) are often sufficient, and 

 with such a simple auxiliary even a cottage gardener 

 may raise vegetables which otherwise he could not 

 bring forward at an earlier season, or perhaps at all. 



• The following preparation will be found useful, viz. :— 

 Three pints of old pale linseed ail, one ounce sugar of lead, four 

 ounces white resin ; the sugar of lead to be ground with a small 

 quantity of the oil, then added to the remainder, and incorporated 

 with the resin by a gentle heat. The mixture should be applied 

 10 the calico, when nailed to the frames, with a brush. 



