Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-03-14

Every farmer having the land can have
these essentials in profusion on his Ia
bic from May till November, or during
all the warmer seasons of the year; and
with little extra care and labor can
have also the luXuries of the small fruits
during the Same time.
The first thing to be done is to make
a hot bed for starting early vegetables.
About the middle of February or as
soon thereafter as the ground can be
worked, even with the aid of pick,
select some sunny place, and, if you can
dram conveniently, or your soil does
not need 1t, dig hole in the ground
square at the ends and rs long as you
want It, but In no case less then ten or
twelve feet, or 1T viii not hold manure
enough to heat; and ten or twelve
inches deep Now procure sash fill
Cd with glass enough to- cover your
contemplated bed Take inch boards
and your saw, square scratch hammer
and nails, and make n frame that your
sash will neatly cover. Next go to
your horse stable or pile of manure and
take the long rough uufermented
manure and fill your hole full, tearing
it all to pieces and spreading evenly as
you fill, and when you get it full and
as high rs the top of the ground, make
1t II foot wider ON every side, and put
on manure till it is foot or fifteen
inches thick over your PIT, trapping all
as firmly as You can. Now if your
manure Is dry, it must be watered
If you have provided good and
sufficient drain to the very bottom of
your pit you cannot make it too wet.
ii to dry it will not heat at ALL You
know very well if you put dry hay into
the barn 1t Will not heat or decay but
if your hay is wet or green it will
heat and mow-burn, or if wet enough
it will decay Now, apply the same
principle to your hot bed, only you
want the very reverse that YOU want in
your hay NOW. Now, you want ma
nure to decay, thereby producing heat;
this heat You wait to control 50 as to
give your vegetables fine start before
or earlier III the season than they would
grow in the open ground. So put on
plenty of water till the whole mass is
wet enough TO spoil. Now put on your
frame, elcvatiug the north side 50 the
water falling on your glass will run off
on the south side; this will also give
your bed the proper inclination to the
sun. Next put on your manure In your
frame and seven inches of good, rich
black soil if the two inches ON the top
is composed largely of drifted sand or
alluvial SOIL, all the better, for it will
not crust from watering and light seeds
will come up IN 1t well.
Take more manure and fill all round
your frame one foot wide and up to
within one or two inches of the top;
put on your sash already filed with
glass, and the bed is done. In about
I "a hours it Will begin to heat This
You can tell by moisture accommodating
on the lower side OF your glass. Take
/ inch pine boards and cover over the top
of your glass at night or in cold wealth.
/ or when the sun does not shine. These
must be removed whenever the sun
shines, to give the bed and plants the
! beueiit of his heat and light.
After about six or eight days, the
rank heat Will have passed off and your
/ bed will be IN condition to receive the
seed. Rake your soil s'uooth and level,
SOW in rows three inches apart ifyour
soil is hight and fine, full one half inch
deep if a little heavy, not more than
one half inch deep. You will find it
profitable TO start early potatoes and
early cabbage. lettuce and radishes
may also be grown for IA radish early
in spring. Sow II few pepper and egg
plant seeds to start them early, Keep
the glass and cover close III cold and
cloudy weather. In warm and sunny
days give air and light, and if the soil
becomes dry or the bed too hot, give
water Keepthe weeds down, or rather
pull up, and the soll well stirred, and
mellow, and your plants must DO well.