CONSTRUCTION OF COLD FRAMES 
1 15 
uniformly than can be done with hose or watering can. 
The suggestions on the location and management of hot- 
beds apply equally well to cold frames. 
165. Grading. — If the ground is uneven or sloping, it 
should be graded before placing or making the frames. 
Level ground is important for effective watering'. When, 
for example, flats do not set level in the frames, much of 
the water applied with a hose will run off before it has 
time to percolate. This may also be true of solid beds, 
especially if the soil is clayey and lacking in vegetable 
FIG. 23. PEPPERS IN COLD FRAMES. SUMMER CULTURE 
matter. Excavation is not required for cold frames, as 
they are mostly placed on top of the ground and banked 
with some material that will afford additional protection. 
166. The frame. — Cold frames are less expensive to 
make than hotbeds. Their construction is more econom- 
ical in three particulars: (1) Excavation is not necessary 
when vegetable plants are grown. (2) Heating material 
is not needed. (3) The frame itself requires less material. 
Many of the points made in considering the frame and 
sash for hotbeds apply equally well to cold frames. As 
