
HAND BOOK FOR THE GARDEN 39 

freezing point, it will be necessary to lift the sash a trifle at the high 
side of the frame. This will allow the hot air to escape and prevent 
injury to the young plants. 
WATER. Hot beds should be watered in the morning only 
and then only on bright days. In cloudy weather a bed may go several 
days without watering, but will dry up in a very short time on a 
sunny day. Always use tepid water put in gently with a fine rose 
watering pot. It is never safe to let the soil get dry. 
COLDFRAMES. Coldframes are intended to protect plants 
from cold without forcing them into growth. They differ from hot 
beds in that no artificial means of heating are employed. The cold 
frame consists of a frame and sash similar to the one described in 
the paragraphs on Temporary Hotbeds. The back board is usually 
twelve inches and the front eight inches wide. The two are connected 
by a taper board twelve inches high at one end, eight inches wide at 
the other end six feet in length. The back and front of the frame are 
made in multiples of three feet in length. When complete, the frame 
is placed upon a sheltered, well-drained piece of land with a dry, 
southern exposure. The glass allows the sun during the bright days 
to temper the air of the frames so that by properly covering them at 
night with shutters or mats, the heat can be retained and the plants 
protected during severe weather. A cold frame should be managed 
in a way very similar to a hot bed, but of course, will not need so 
much ventilation. 



WV 
Wh 
Wh 
WLLL 














YW: Ss 
Bs = =. a D 
Wha > eS 
A permanent hotbed. From a U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Bulletin 







