The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-03-07
From the Michigan Farmer.
The Vegetable Garden.

Iuefe IL nOtnlng so acceptable as
early vegetables, and one of the most
useful aids to this is a botbed. Every
amateur should have one, as every
we'll regulated horticulturalist regards
1t as one of its most essential features.
Not only is heat generated by manure
more favorable to vegetation than that
from amy OTHER Kind of heat usually
applied, but the manure itself, after
being so.employed, seems better than
that preserved any other way. We
would sooner have one load of hotbed
manure for horticultural purposes, es-
pecially for pot plants generally, than
Tvo'of the same kind of manure that
bad not baen so employed.
To make hotbsd, long stable ma
nure should be used, and If it can be
turned couple of times, heating vio-
Rnsly each time,u before. permanently
usieg,. thsr more regular, vail be the
beaf in,ths bed and the longes will it
last.
A so. r2is eastern aspect is. best for q
botbed a. ,djit'shouldsb well sheltered
from winds Oh the cold quarter.
TT the ORION, ,G Is dry, the soil may be
dug out about a foet in. depth, but for
very early forcing y IS best to have the
whole above ground, as. when sunk,
the cold rains and tina wing snow col
lects in the pit and cools the materials.
The foundation for the no tbed should
Be about eighteen inches wider than
the frame to be set on it when flushed,
and the manure regularly laid on till
about the height of three feet has been
obta;1ed, when the frame may be set
on. 1t is not we'll TO. tramp the manure
Too heavily, or the heat wifi be too vio-
lent Sometimes the manure is very
strawy," in which case it shoaad be
with drainage from the manure heap,
or the heat will be ga good time com
ing" when it would be very inconven-
lent to " wait little longer.
When the manure and frame are
Both fixed q half inch of soil should
BE thrown over the manure under the
sash to absorb the gross gases that
would else be too strong. For few
days after the heat will be too violent,
but when the thermometer indicates a
temperature of 90 deg, operations may
begin bat the usual aim is 20 deg.
When the bed shows signs of getting
below this, Innings Of stable manure
must be applied round the frames, one
and half feet thick, and if boards,
shutters, mats, or any similar material
can be spread over these Innings, the
heat will be maintained much longer.
Having secured the hotbed, Dahlias,
ANNALS. Cheumbers, Tomatoes, Pep
pers, Elephants, and many other inter-
esting things can be started, by which
va may get several weeks ahead of our
neighbors in the enjoyments of vegeta-
BILE luxuries, and when done with the
bed in May, it will be the very place for
gfoxanians, achimenes, and many other
beautiful house plants which delight in
q warm moist heat.
A great deal of difficulty is often ex-
perienced in keeping up sufficiency
Of heat in cold weather,-and every
care should be taken to prevent loss
Of heat Straw mats, and bast mats,
and other contrivances, are employed
to throw over the glass during the
night, and even warm manure, when a
night of extra sharpness is anticipated.
There is nothing that requires more
skill than to conduct hotbed well
and yet nothing that is perhaps more
satisfactory than it is when entirely
successful.