Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-02-26


Many man might have delcacies very
early did he but think how cheaply they
could be had. The materials are often close
to hand, but are not thought Of, or If
thought of the whole matter is put off 10
some convenient time which never comes.
Garden frames or pits are of this character.
With manure in abundance, and the heat
from fermentation wasting away, almost
every one who has barnyard might have
early vegetables at almost no cost. Most
early vegetables want little heat. Lettuce,
radishes, asparagus, cauliflower and some
others, grow when the earth is very near
the freezing point, and the care in looking
after them is very trihng indeed. Caul-
flower pits are made of stone or brick.
They are sunk in the earth about four feet,
sometimes more or little less, and in the
fall OF the year are filled with manure,
mixed with leaves or other coarse vegeta-
BILE rubbish, that will keep the mass from
heating too fast. This is filed up to the
glass, as well as tramped in hard, and few
inches of earth put over the whole. On
this the young plants in September are sci.
As the plants grow the material sinks, so
that they aie always close to the glass,
which is one of the essentials of good cu-
ture. The plants do not grow much in the
winter, and about this season of the year
radishes or lettuce may be sown between
the caulflower plants without interfering
much with their growth. Asparagus may
also be dug up carefully in the fall and
planted at the same time as the cauiflow-
err, and thus one can have four crops all of
the same little piece of hotbed ground.
We said that the frame part may be made
of brick or stone; but of course boards
will do, but are too temporary. Under the
influence of fermenting materials wood
lasts but few years. Stone or brick will
last lifetime. The pit may be foot or so
above the ground at the lower portion, and
framework for the glass fitted thereon.
The glass should slope tolerably SO as to
catch the rays of the morning sun. A four
or perhaps six-sash frame of this charac-
ter, made of the most durable materials,
could be put up in most cases for one hun
bred dollars, and the vegetables got out
of it in single spring would be worth
nearly half of that. There would be first
radshes in use, then asparagas, then the
lettuce, following with the caulihower in
April or May. A day will clean out the
old manure, excellent stuff by the way for
the finer garden crops and flowers, and an
other day will fill in and get ready the ma
terial for the new crops. The subsequent
attention will be little. No covering but
the sash is necessary, as the warmth of the
fermenting material helping below with
the sash above, prevents the frost from be-
ing very severe in the frames, and little
does not hurt them. The greatest danger
is that the air may become too warm. The
sashes are generally tilted so that there is
air at all times except when very cold. All
of this knowledge, however, soon comes
after one has engaged little in managing
one, and it is surprising how very little
time or care will be requisite. We are
quite sure that any one who takes the
trouble once TO have some such a cold
frame as this for early vegetables, would
never afterwards want 10 he without one.
-Gcrmdntown Telegraph.