The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-02-19
A(G I;EWA r WEHAA o
HOT BEDs-HOW MADE.

nO1 6EDS-dOW MADE.
Farmers, like other people, are fond of
early vegetables. But it is too generally
the case, that they neglect to raise them.
People in the city will have the earliest to
be obtained, and willingly pay cxorbtant
prices for them.
Farmers could raise, even in the hot bed,
the earliest vegetables, at very little COST
The hot bed requires attention early in the
season, when there is but little other work
on hand, and consequently could be attend
cd to about as well as not. We propose to
inform our readers how they arc made.
SELECTION OF GROUND.
The ground upon whicl, hot bel should
be made, should have southcrly or south
easter y inclination. 1t should be fully en-
posed to tlic SUI, and out of the shade of
trees, buildings, &c. \ dry place is prefer
ablc-wllerc water will not stand in pits
one or two feet i'll depth, after rain.
THE FRAME AND SASH.
The frame or box which supports the sash
is generally about l-2 or 5 feet wide, and
may he made Of any desired length. The
frames areigcncraly made SO as to be COW
cred with from three to five sasllcs each
sash being commonly about 40 inches wide,
aud four and IL half or five feet long The
frame may bc made Of inch plank-the
side exposed to the north being six or eight
inches higher than the southcrly sile, so as
to have proper slope to the sun.
The smallest sized glass should be used
in the sash-certainly not larger than by
9. The smaller the size the better. as n
small pane Of glass is not SO liable to Le
broken as a large one and can bc more
cheaply repaired. No cross bars are used
in the sasll-the pains of glass overlapping
eaciI other about quarter Of an inch, like
the shingles Of house, and resting on bars
that run lengthwise of the sash, just the
right width for the panes TO rest on two
bars. The bars upon which the panes of
glass rest should bc an inch and a half or
two inches wide.
PREPARATION OF TIE BEDS.
1t is good plan to dig pit from one
to two feet deep where the bed is to be
made, although this is not always done.-
Over this pit must be- placed the frame.
Now Oh in half full with some fresh horse
stable manure which llas not been exposed
TO the rains, and which, within the last two
weeks, has been turned over two or three
times. If the manure is rather dry, water
should be sprinkIed upon it. The sasles
Of glass may now be placed upon tile bed
frame, and the bed left for about 12 hours
when air should be given it, and it should
be closed again. In three or four days the
soil may be put on. this bed of MANURE
Fine garJen mould should be used, and i,
slionid be spread to the depth Of six OF
eishtsincl'es evenly over the bed. In one
or two days the seed may be sown. II
sowns as soon as the soil is put OH, the soil
is saidFtof bum 8o'as to destroy tile germ OF
the seed. Therefore, air should be given To
The bed once or twice before tie seed is
sown. After the seed is sown,. the bed
should be sprinkled with water from the
watering pot daily till the plants appear.
Air should be given daily when the. wealth
srwiil permit 50 a. to make the plants
strong and hardy. Tffe,sed should be kept
at the temperature Of about Coz. The out
side Of tle'frame should be banked up with
manure 90 as to keep the bed warm. In
cold, fSsezfng weather the beds will need to
be protected by being covered with mats or
straw. .-Hailsy Farmer.