[Illustration:  Working sketch of hotbed

Jack’s working drawing of his hotbed.  This was to serve for a coldframe temporarily.]

Saw out strips A two inches wide and as long as the slanting edge of the end of the frame.  Be careful with this measurement not to measure the slanting edge of the end piece only, but to include with it the thickness of both front and back pieces.  Saw out two more pieces two inches wide and as long as the frame is wide at the bottom.  Make strip B 2-1/2 in. x 5 ft. 7 in.

Lay out notches marked A by dividing top and bottom edges of front and back into three equal spaces.  Cut notches to receive strips marked A. Nail strips A in place, also B. To make a neat piece of work the ends of strips A should be planed slightly slanting to make them exactly even, or “flush” with front and back boards.  The real object of strips A is to keep the frame from bulging at the centre.

Jack had three common single window sashes, 22-in. x 3 ft. which made an excellent cover for the frame.  These should be placed in position and fastened to strip B with two-inch butts.  Notice the sashes project over the front so as to carry the water away from the frame.  The sash should be fastened to the frame, putty side out.

GARDEN STAKE

The stake may be made of soft wood or hard.  It is a good one to use in staking off the garden.  It is entirely a piece of knife work.  The dimensions are clearly given on the working plan.  If the stake is made 12 inches instead of 14 inches, it may be used as a foot rule in measuring off furrows.

[Illustration:  A heavy stake like this one, Jack used in marking off his drills.  It is adapted to just such work.]

THE BOY’S GARDEN REEL

A piece of wood (ash is suitable for this work), 11-3/8 x 4-1/2 x 1/2 in. is needed.  Draw pencil lines lengthwise and widthwise through the centre of this piece.  From the centre measure out one inch in both directions, placing dots.  These give the central points for centre cut.

Measure from the four corners of the piece 3 inches along the length.  Connect by line the opposite dots.  This gives the line marked 4-1/2 in. in the diagram.  It shows the beginning of the cut to the centre line.  One inch above these lines draw other lines straight across the wood.  Find centre of these.  Place a dot one-half inch on both sides of each from centre.  This gives the one-inch end cuts.  Cut this up to one-half inch of each corner.  This makes a large substantial garden reel.

[Illustration:  Made of hard wood this reel will last forever.]

A PLANT STOOL OR TABOURET

The materials needed are four pieces 18 x 3 x 7/8 in. planed, for legs; one piece 14 x 14 x 7/8 in., planed, top; two pieces 8-1/2 x 1-3/4 x 7/8 in., planed, lower braces; one piece 8-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 7/8 in., planed, upper brace.  Use chestnut, white wood, white oak, mahogany, cherry or birch.  You will need also 2-in. blued screws, round head, for fastenings.