The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-03-01
IFrcm the Ohio Farmer.I
Management Of Hot Beds.

Where there is large Gumber Of hot
beds, they should be fenced in with a
high board fence; all beds should be
protected from the west wind, which
will sometimes blow frames of glass on
to one another, resulting in great dam
age in breaking glass. Besides, the bed
will be much warmer when protected
from the west wind.
Hot bed ashes of glass are made of
different sizes. / think the best is five
panes long, four wide, eight by ten
inch glass, made heavy; glass Tapped,
made Tight aud fastened with putty for
early hot beds. For tTansplanting and
for sweet potatoes, much the cheapest
and best way is to have the sashes
grOoved so as to slip in the glass. 1t is
unnecessary to have them laid on the
frames. When it is necessary they can
be all taken off or raised up; when the
plants crowd the glass, raise the frames
by putting something under them.
1t is very important when the beds
get cool, to bank up with warm horse
manure on the space left around the
bed. Plants should not be crowded too
fast or they will not be strong and
healthy; they should have considerable
air on warm days, requiring good judg-
ment and some experience to keep the
beds at the proper temperature. Too
much heat or too much cold may spoil n
bed ofsweet potatoes in few hours.
Great care should also be taken in
watering hot beds. Cold well water
will not answer; should be warmed by
hot water or 10y exposure in a warm
day to the atmosphere; brook water is
better. Early in the season, water in
the morning, on a sunshiny day; later,
when the weather is warm, water late
in the afternoon. Much care is required,
a few hosrs when the bed is too
dry and hot, sun without air or water,
may spoil bed of plants.
When the glass is fastened with putty
and will shed water, straw mats are best
to cover in cold spell of weather. l
have sometimes seen the mercury below
zero, with three coverings of straw
mats; when the cold spell was over, the
hot Ted was all right, tomato plants not
in the least injured. When the glasses
are in grooves, boards will shed water
the best in cold storms; for cold nights
or cold days, mats ara much the best
and by far the cheapest.
suppose everybody knows or should
know how to make straw mats, which
is very simple: The first thing is to
make frame by mailing two side strips
about three feet long on two end pieces
three and a half feet wide, of inch
boards, about two inches wide; then
tie across this frame lengthways four
strong cords like hemp wool.twine; the
frame will raise these strings about TIVE
inches. Lay on good straight rye straw,
take light, strong twine, wind some on
small short sticks, then with one of
these to every main string, commence:
SnoVe the straw up close, take a half
hiics around the straw, then continue
TINS en all four of the strings, until the
mat is finished, which should be about
lOur leet long and three feet wide and
tue eh9s OF the straw cut even.
These mats are easily made on stormy
days and cost trihe, and are useful for
a great many purposes, can be used for
covering shocks of grain and heaps OF
hay during wet weather. The sides
should be trimmed even.
ID. c. RICHMOND.