Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1858-03-04
On the Making and Management OF
Hot Reds.


Quite possible not a few who read these
pages hardly know what a hotbed is, or
at any rate, to be charitable, have never
possessed one, yet as we said in former
paper, their expense is but trife, while
their use is of importance, even ina profit
and loss view of the case.a Those whode ,
sign beginning, then, will needa littleLin-
struction in the way to do it--for whom
this is expressly written. Having first
secured the ''frame," the gardeners ver-
nacular for the structure the plants are
grown in, which can be made one and a
half or two inches thick of any desirable.
size, say ten or twelve feet long and five
to six wide, according to what is to be
grown; care should be taken TO. so con-
struct this frame and the fitting of the
sash, as to retain all the heat given by the
bed when required; if not convenient to
obtain glass sash, cloth is sometimes used
tackled to the sash, and if it is oiled, it
will answer better thaniW'ithoutc! we would
advise glass though in all lcaseswhere prac-
ticable the next point will be, to build
the bed. I his is best slightly sunk in
the soil, as the trying winds during
March have not the; power then to so SEN
sibly lessen the heat, as when all is above
ground let pit be excavated the size of
the frame and one foot deep; procure a
sufficient quantity of fresh horse stable
manure, if obtainable, if not, COW will do;
this would have been better thrown In a
heap few days before using, to sweeten
"a term which implies that the first rank
heat of the manure, which is detrimental
to vegetation is past. The object mainly
to be sought after in the building, is to
secure uniform, steady heat, which is
induced by thorough breaking and mix
ing the manure together-as it is built
into the bed also to guard against an un-
even sinking. Of the bed, which is caused
often by one part being pressed down
tighter than another, although not unfre-
quently from the outside of the bed, ow-
ing to cold from without, not fermenting
so readily as the inside, which is protec-
ted and warm. 1gltlzirgZ45 .atFl.
Commence at one end and shake in a
layer of manure, say six or nine inches
thick all over the excavated pit, press ii
down with the fork, then build another lay
er, and so on until tightly pressed mass
of two feet deep is collected together
this will be thick enough for the raising
of all crops likely to be wanted by farm
ers; let it be tried two or three times, al
so, to settle it while in process of build.
ing; when done, the back should be six
inches higher than the front, to present
the glass at better altitude to the suns
rays. When finished, lift on the frame
knock in the sides Of the bed well with
the tines Of the fork, and throw any short
loose droppings that may lay around into
the frame; level that down and placed OF
the sash, and throw over q quantity o.
litter to encourage the heat to rise. Some
times during very cold spells, this vii
not take place, in which case boiler O.
good hot water should be thrown in, anC
all covered up as before. Keep pointed
stick thrust into the bed, which is called
, 'stryer;n lift that out occasionally, t.
examine if that is warm or cold. If to-
hot to be pleasant to the hand, throw of
the sash a. few hours, and tread the be-
all over evenly; when the heat is evi
dent and not likely to be too warm, thC
, soil may be put in, in which to sow th'
seed, and should be about three inche
deep. A sandy soil tolerably rich is thu
best, although any s. ort soil of clay ma.
be made to do. Throw the soil in rough
and leave so twelve hours before sowing Il
get uniformly warm; level down then witt
, rake and sow the seed broadcast bu
evenly over the whole space; press tn,
seed in with the rake sufficiently to cove
all the seed, shut 1.-THE frame, and keel
! it so until the heat begins sensibly to ris,
! again. A southeastern aspect is. consid
cred the best of all, south, perhaps near
ly equal, an east one will do while no 9th
, er should be tolerated, The bed is bene
! fitted if some faggots or straw screens ar
placed around to break the. cold winds.
The time to build must depend mainl
on the latitude of the plate, Che first Q
+ March being the time for this latitude
while further south they have to com
. mence earlier.