Thanks, Peter, not only for the information but also for the link. That document was scanned at the USDA Agricultural Library which is about a half hour's drive from my home. But for the cost of gas for the car, I would be over there every day, at least during the non-gardening seasons. This library is the tallest building anywhere nearby its location. You can see it from far off. I like it because there is ALWAYS loads of free parking on the campus. Jim McKenney Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7 On Tuesday, February 11, 2014 5:45 PM, Peter Taggart <petersirises@gmail.com> wrote: it is a mat for protecting frames from frost in spring, it measures 5 feet by 8 feet. see here, page 94 https://archive.org/details/… Peter (UK) On 11 February 2014 22:30, Peter Taggart <petersirises@gmail.com> wrote: > A *mat*, made in Russia, from the inner bark of Lime trees, used for > covering garden *frames* to keep out frost. *...* Greenhouse *plants* of > slender growth, with brightly-coloured, funnel-shaped *flowers* in > summer; they are suitable in cultivation in *...* > > > On 11 February 2014 22:13, Jim McKenney <jamesamckenney@verizon.net>wrote: > >> Can anyone tell me what an archangel mat is? I ran across the term in a >> British gardening book published in the early 1950s: the way the author >> wrote, it seems that by that time they were already becoming uncommon. They >> were recommended for covering cold frames in severe weather. >> Is the term an old generic term for some sort of floor mat? >> >>