The Garden Under Glass

VENTILATING AND SHADING 267 very little air will be allowed. Then admit more air, and later draw back the lights during fine weather. Alter a few days of this treatment air may be left on at night, and a little later the lights may be removed entirely, unless a severe frost is imminent, or snow. But even when stand-ing in a cold frame plants are not so fully exposed as they will be when set out in the ground, so that it is advised afterwards to set the plants in the open at a nice distance apart, so that sun, air and wind may get freely between them ; but for a while it is a good plan to make arrangements for covering them with mats should danger from frost be anticipated. The final stage, of course, is to leave them entirely unprotected and to set them out in the open ground. SHADING THE GREENHOUSE In order to protect plants from scorching, or to prevent the too rapid withering of the flowers, it will be necessary to provide some means of breaking the brilliance of the sunshine. There are several methods of shading, and while the best is undoubtedly the cheapest, it is at first consider-able in cost. It cannot be gainsaid that lath-roller blinds are the best. Once they are put up there is little fear of their breaking, they will well withstand weather, and in the winter will aid in keeping the cold out. The best plan in fixing them is to let them run down on iron rods, at least six inches clear of the glass. A point to remember is to put the pole in an easy position for rolling up, so that it will roll up evenly. It is necessary to renew the cords at least once a year. Canvas blinds, though by no means ideal, are better than a permanent shading. Tiffany is also useful, though very apt to tear and to rot when left down during showers. The ordinary archangel mats are altogether too heavy