The Coldframe 
It does not take much training in garden practice to recog¬ 
nize the importance of a cold-frame for seed sowing, yet many 
side-step this valuable garden aid. Perhaps they fail to sense 
the principle of the thing and its implications, thinking only of 
a pictured affair made by the carpenter with factory sash on 
hinges, plus a good-sized cost bill to pay. That kind is fine for 
some but for others a large wooden box, donated by the hard¬ 
ware man or grocer, will do wonders when its bottom is knocked 
out. What we are really after is protection and control. 
Locate your improvised or full-fledged frame in a southern 
exposure if possible, for it is easier to do some shading if 
necessary than to shift the sun. Fill at least six inches above 
outside level with ordinary soil to insure perfect drainage and 
ease of operation. (We use a foot or more.) Two inches of 
special seed soil will afterwards be placed on top of this. In 
places where moles spade their way underground, wire mesh 
should be tacked to the bottom of the frame. Our own concrete 
frames are floored with concrete, perforated for drainage. In 
heavy winds the sides help to break the shock. 
(Excerpt from article by Chas. F. Barber in the 1938 Year Book of the 
American Delphinium Society on "From Dry Seeds to Living Delphiniums.") 
GIANT JAPS THE ENVY OF ALL 
Amesbury, Mass.: "The Japanese Iris, Kalhiko and Lucie Marshall, 
bought of you two years ago, have been the envy of all admirers." (8-6-34) 
Long lists of Japanese Iris do not by any means imply marked 
distinctions in color and form, while much depends upon the 
inherent vigor of the plant itself. We are continually eliminat¬ 
ing varieties which are defective in this respect. And we do 
not hesitate to discard any kind which has been superseded 
by a better. In blossom size we have practically doubled that 
of yesterday, and new colorings also are appearing. The red¬ 
dish, or russet, tones are now coming in, and pinkish mauves, 
also. 
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