The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-03-14
Rmtes Of sRezrea.kkssa,e.


Spring Hot Beds By a jersey Market Gar.
asnsT.--As the season is now coming around
ior our preparatory spring opsrations.a few re-
tl@iAs on our manner of constructing hot beds,
may De OF service to some of your readers wha
are only amateurs in such things, and who
keeping no regular garden--are often sadly
puzzled and befogged by the mystery that is
often thrown around some of the most simple of
gardening operations By some of our would-be
scientlhcs," whose '.liitle Acknowledgements
t!caHy--proves often, not to themselves. but TO
their unfortunate auditors, "a dangerous thing -
Our manner of preparing hot beds being on,a
large scale, we necessarily employ the most eco.
nomlcai means to get at the result desired III
In the materials for the hot bed there is very
httle choice; there is nothing better found yet
than stable manure, or stable manure and leaves
rom the woods, when we can get them, in equal
pioporhons AS ne never begin TO use our
not beds for seeds before the first week in March
IL IS quite soon enough to collect the material
for two or three weeks before and, as at that
tlme-the middle OF February-the weather is
Often severe, it will much assist the fsrmenta-
ton of the materials if put SIZED or some s
place where they will be partially sholtered.-
This is worthy of attention, as have often seen
large quantities of the heating materials frozen
S till by few days exposure TO zero Amos
rhere
8
procured for the purpose required, ii is thrown
in heap and moderately firmed; The mass will
have become heated throughout in from -four to
seven days, according to the state of the manure
and the weather. 1t is then again turned to al
low the escape ofthe frank heat p twice turn-4
ing is usually necessary to reduce the violen
heat, especially when only manure is used, the
mixture OF leaves greatly dIninshes the gross
heat of the manure. When thus mixed. one
"a Vhe., 4
the hot beds are from two and half to three
feet deep, six feet wide, and of any length that
may be required. The manure is put in to the
depth OF from eighteen TO twenty inches and
OF any lengthsthat may be required. The ma
nuTe is put in to the depth OF eighteen or twen-
ty inches, and moderately and evenly frmed
with the back OF The fork The sashes are then
put on, and the sun allowed to shine on them,
so IS quickly to draw up the heat whiehwill
be in about twenty-four hours from the time of
making up the hot bed We then, but not be-
FORE put on from four to six inches of rich loamy
soil, when the seeds of tomatoes, ogg and pep
per plants, cabbage, caulifower and lettuce may
be sown at once.
If proper attention has been given 10 airing.
watering and covering up tie sashes with mats
at night, the eabbages ETC., will be ready for
planting out in the open ground by about one
month from the time of sowing But the toma-
tos anu pEPpeA pidHbo suoalu at ABOUT LnAb
time, be replanted in a slight het bed, prepared
as before ,of about Ten or twelve inches in depth;
or, by carefully covering up with straw mats,
they may be preserved in cold frames but the
hot bed is the safest il manure can be had. Those
tender plants, of course, are not safe to be
planted out iii our district before the middle of
May.
On all our hot beds we use straw mats or
shutters at night, straw mats being preferable
board fence OF six or seven feet in height to
shelter from the Rosth and west winds, is indis-
pen5ible when rpsuch shelter otherwise exists.
II willbe perceived that Jersey Market
Gardener" makes his beds in pits, which we
consider far preferable TO making them on the
surface. The beds thus take up much less room,
require less material, retain their heat longer,
ard in all respects require less trouble and care
--H0rtaCHitarist.