The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-09-12
Cold frames.

We have mentioned that the middle OF
September is the time TO sow cabbage let
tuce, cauhflower and greens for early spring
use. In the south these may be easily WIN
tered over and be ready to start up the lst
of February by simply covering them lightly
with leaves or straw. They Will do Wen
without that, but will be in more forward
state if thus covered during the coolest
weather The south is the early vegetable
garden for the United States. The more the
people there understand this, and act ac-
cordingly, they will be able to add to their
incomes immensely.
Farmers and gardeners in the north VINO
want the vegetables we have named very
early must resort to the cold frame.
HOW TO MAKE COLD FRAME.
You have only to set box of boards upon
the ground. fastening the sides securely to
posts. so they will stand up. The back
board should be ten or twelve inches high,
the front one seven or eight inches, 50 that
the sash which is laid upon the box shall
slope and shed rain The box should be OF
the proper size to allow the glass sash to
rest upon it, The sash is three by SIX feet.
A long bed Of boards can be made, on which
the sashes can be laid Side by side Fill tho
space inside with fertile soil, digging IN
three inches of well-rotted manure. You
will then have vegetable garden in a box
under glass. The sash beds must face to
the south and east Where the winters are
cold and the winds bleak, board fence SIX
feet high should protect the frames to the
north and northwest.
The gardener may have as many of these
sashes as he can afford. About month
after the sowing of the seeds named, say the
middle of October, transplant them from
the opsn ground into the cold frames Set
them down to the first leaf. Henderson in
structs US that each sash will hold 800 plants
of cabbage or caulihower, and 700 to 800
lettuce& The plants must be thoroughly
aired and summed throughout the winter.
Every day when the thermometer runs not
lower than twenty degrees in the shade, of
mild, sunny days, the sashes may be lifted
off altogether, taking care to replace them
at night.
That Is the treatment through the winter,
1t is 81 plain that you can't mistake. Now.
have number OF spare, empty cold frames.
in all respects like those described Fill the
soil in them with straw and leaves, SO that
it will not freeze. From tne middle of Feb
ruary to the LIST of March transfer lettuce
plants to the spare cold frames fifty to each
sash Have the earth enriched and well
pulyerized These are the frames in which
your lettuce is to grow till it is marketed.
Give the plants an abundance of air, and
let them have thorou sh soaking whenever
there is warm rain. Ii you let them re-
main shut up in the sasles und II a bright
sun. without air, recollect they will be
cooked. Do not neglect them for a single
day. They need air, sun and mo sure
to make rapid growth. In six weeks from
the time they we're last transplanUeI your
lettuce will be ready to sell cool many
handy little dollars can be picked up in this
way in the months of April and May, in
suitable |, calities. At an average of five
cents per head for early lettuce, with small
number of frames the returns would not be-
inconsiderat lie. Moreover, women and chill
dren can do this work.
From the lst OF March to the middle Of
April, according to locality, take up the
cabbage and caulifower from the cold
frames and set them out in the open grounl
When full grown, in good mar6et regions
these will make return at the rate of 81, 600
an acre. The cabbages will be perfected
and sold off at the latest BY the middle Ct
July. Early cabbage and caulifower should
be set in rows about twenty-five inches
apart, with distance of sixteen inches be-
tween the plants. At the same time they
are set cut lettuce plants may be put in the
SPACE bet tween the rows, twelve inches apart.
The heads will mature early and be cut of
before they are in the way of the cabbage
By this method the ground may be doubly
utilized, with it's large requirements OF
manure and labor.