Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-03-27

sashcs 10 lie or slide upon. These piece
had the same angle of inclination as the
top of the box, and projecting back some
four feet, the ends rested on scan;lino
well set in the ground, thus supportiny
tho sash when thrown back, as will be
sometimes necessary to avoid too great
heat, or to air and water the plants. I
had so often seen the glass of hot-bc ds
shivcrcd, when the sash was merely laid
on without proper security, that | adopted
this course which has proved entirely sue
cessful. To make a place for this sash to
slide, on the top of the first narrow board
l nailed another, a trif1e thicker than tho
SASH, but still narrower than the frsr
board and on this, but or ,iie wiJ,l, Of
the under piece, was placed a thin board,
thus making a slide for the sash, but from
which it could not be removed except at
the upper or lower extremity. On the
upper sides ofeach sash, at each end, l
screwed a piece ofleather doubled into a
loop which greatly facilitated sliding, or
removing them when necessary. When
completed, the box was about ten feet in
length by five feet in width.
For making a hot-bed, horse stable
manure is generally preferred, as it fer
ments more equally than any other, and of
course retains its heating properties longer.
Other stable manure will do, however,
when horse manure cannot conveniently
be had. In making the bed, care must
be taken to pack the manure as equally
in every part as possible, as, if thrown in
carelcssly, it will fcrment and settle une-
qually, cracking the earth, and in a great
degree destroying the value of the bed.
1t is customary, after piling the manure,
to let it remain some days before the
earth is put upon it; it is supposed that
thus a quicker fermentation is produced;
l, however, put in manure and covered it
with rich garden mould the same dav,
which was about the fourteenth of March.
When put in, the manure and earth was
within eight or ten inches of the top of
the box; the depth o fearth put in might
average ten inches. The mass however
settled so considerably before fermenta-
ton ceased, that | shall this year leave
less space between the earth and the glass,
since it is we'll known that the less this
space the greater the heat produced by
the sun, and experience has proved that
the settling of the earth in this case will
usually be sufficient to prevent any con-
tact between the plants and the glass,
which they ought not to reach. In eight
days after making my bed, l planted
itwith such seeds as 1 wished for
early use, or for transplanting; but
except the tomatoes and cabbages, I
gained nothing by starting my plants, in
tended for removal, so soon, since the
melons, cucumbers, peppers, &c. grew so
fast, and became SO large, that when the
proper season for tr~ansplanting came,
removal was fatal to most of them.
In planting a hot-bed with such things
as are to be removed, it is a good plan to
take pieces of clean turf, some four or
five inches square, and putting these in
the bed the grass side down, place the
seeds on them and cover with fine mould
to the depth of one and a half or two in
ches. The roots otthe young plant spread
in the turf which partially decays, and If
carefully removed, and in season, the
plant will feel but little injury from the
process.
Much of the profit to be derived from a
hot-bcd is depending on having the seeds
when planted SO arranged, that the success
sive crops shall not interfere with one
another, or those intended for removal
with those that remain. Thus, where
there Is but a single hot-bed, the plants
permanently grown in them are usually
l%ettuces, radishes, and cucumbers. 1t
takes but a few stalks of the cucumber
to fill a hot bed, when the vines begin to
run, and these if planted in separate
places will not in the least interfere with
the first crops Of lettuce or radishcs, and
these but little, if the space is well man
aged, with the plants intended for removal.
Last year | used half ofmy bed for start
ing some cuttings of the multicaulis to
make way for which | removed part of a
~luxuriant growth Of radishes /; yet on this
limited space | grew two crops of tho
finest %lettue, "a large supply of radishes,
and after the transplanting of the multi
caulis, by allowing the cucumbers to
spread, | had not only cucumbers in plen-
ty early, but the vines continued TO pro-
duce those OF good quality till late in tho
season. To those who arc fond of seeing
early vegetables on their tables, a bed of
this description is indispensable; and after
a long deprivation of fresh articles of this
kind, heads of lettuce as large as small
ca~bbages, and radishes an inch in dame
ter, are not apt to be looked upon with
displeasure by any one, be he farmer or
otherwise.
Where sash cannot conveniently DO
, had, frames covered with oiled paper are
800 Il LnLEA lAA..-.--l L..