By Mr. James Drummond. 



869 



actual freezing takes place, or when frost is expected in the 

 night. 



I am far from thinking that these straw frames will bear a 

 comparison with glass, for neatness of appearance ; but they 

 have other advantages besides their cheapness : when they 

 are raised, the plants in the pits have the full advantage of 

 air and sun, and are but little exposed to wet, the rain being 

 mostly thrown off on the back of the frames, and when they 

 are shut down, frost cannot easily penetrate through them to 

 the plants. 



It is well known that it is necessary to have mats and 

 other sorts of coverings over glass in severe weather, the re- 

 moving of which to give air in the middle of the day, and 

 replacing at night, is attended with much trouble ; whereas 

 the opening and shutting of the straw frames is but the work 

 of a moment. 



I have principally used these pits and frames for the 

 protection of Alpine and other plants usually kept under 

 glass without fire heat; but in cases of necessity tender 

 green-house plants may be preserved through the winter in 

 them, as I experienced last season. I had many Geraniums 

 and other tender plants which I could not find room for in 

 the glass houses. By way of experiment I placed them in 

 these pits ; and although from the unusual severity of the 

 winter, I was obliged to keep down the frames night and day 

 for a fortnight together, and cover them with additional straw 

 to exclude the severe frost, the only plants that suffered 

 were a few of the downy-leaved Geraniums, and even those, 

 on being planted afterwards in the ground, shot out vigorously 



vol. v. 3 B 



