Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-04-09
Forcing Vegetables.

ton upon those farmers who take an in
terest in their vegetable gardens, we ven-
ture to say that the tables of people who
live in the country are seldom 50 well
supplied with early vegetables as those of
the residents of cities and villages. The
usual practice among farmers is to let
Nature take her course in the way of rails
ing plants of all kinds; hence it is late in
the season before their tables are sup
piled with vegetables of any kind.
The radish, lettuce, tomato, and similar
seeds are not sown until the ground be-
comes warm enough to make them ger
inmate, and then drought or too much
rain may rctard growth, or insects destroy
the plants as soon as they appear, and
through these and other causes total
failure is frequently the result. But city
people can usually find good vegetables
in market; for the professional gardener
does not wait upon Dame Nature to sup
ply his garden with either heat or moist.
ure. He well knows that artificial aid is
required, and hence his success.
1t is scarcely necessary for us to urge
the value of an abundance of good vege-
tables; STILL we are inclined to think that
r,any families use less than would be
.eally beneficial to health, leaving out of
account ones taste for such easily pro-
cured food. or course much depends
upon habit, and many families become SO
accustomed TO live on pork and potatoes
that they scarcely desire a change TO
lighter, more nutritious, and more deli
cious food The older members OF fam
lily may be able to live and remain COM
paratively healthy upon meat, bread, and
few of the coarser kinds OF vegetables;
but this is not a good bill of fare for
children, or one which they usually relish,
There Is no good reason why farmers, as
rule, should not have an abundance of
vegetables, and as choice varieties as are
found in cur city markets. The cost Of
production is not so great as 10 be Sc
rious obstacle In the way of even those
who are comparatively poor in purse.
HoT.BEDs.
Very little can be done toward raising
early vegetables without bot-beds, and no
good farmer would think of having good
garden and of dispensing with the aid Of
these very important adjuncts. They are
usually made by inclosing manure in
wooden frames; but wherever stone is
abundant IL is better To make permanent
walled pits of the required size, in which
case there will be no necessity OF renew
ais, as the hotbed frames are always ready
for use. The location OF such pits must
be In some dry place where water will not
accumulate at the bottom during thaws or
heavy rains In spring. If there Is the least
danger of this, drain should be made TO
carry off the water, or the walls should be
built entirely above ground and then
banked up with earth on the outside. The
walls should be parallel, four or five feet
apart, according TO the length OF the
frames to be used In covering, and they
should run east and west The back or
north wall should be at least three feet
high, and the front one two or two and a
half feet. This will give sufficient slope
to the sun, and will cause water falling
upon the cover TO ran off. A pit made in
this form will be found useful In many
ways besides forcing vegetables, and
farmer who has never had one upon his
place would be surprised at the innumer.
able uses TO which such structure can be
put There is no better place 10 store
halfhardy plants of all kinds, also for
plunging celery and caulifiower In
autumn, and if carefully managed many
kinds of house plants, such as tender
roses, fuchias, and other halfwoody plants
may be kept through the winter In such
pits.
But az we do not suppose many of our
readers have such convenient structures
at command, we will pass over them to
the cheaper forms Of hotbed frames,
which can be made of inch boards or
thicker stuff If handy. These frames
should be eighteen inches high at the
back, and foot In front, and AS wide as
the sash covers are long. Five TO six
feet being the usual length, and two and
a half 10 three the width. These sashes
have no cross bars like common window
sashes, but the glasses are Ovcrlapped at
the edges like shingles on a roof, In order
to permit water to pass off freely. Where
sasbes would be too expensive, light
frames Of the same size may be made and
covered with common muslin. After the
muslin Is stitched upon the frames it may
receive light coat of linsecd oil, which
will make the cloth more transparent,
and in a measure prevent decay. These
cloth-coveTed frames will last for several
years If kept under cover when not In
use.
MAKING THE HoT-BED.
Manure, spent hops from the brewcries,
leaves from the woods, refuse from rope
walks, tan bark, and other materials are
used for generating heat in hotbeds, but
the most common and plentiful Is manure
from horse stables. The manure should
be forked over, and only that which is
fresh used. Let it be thrown into u pile,
under cover If possible, and forked over
every two or three days until it begins to
ferment and generate heat, when 1t is
ready for use. Select place on the south
side OF some building or high board
fence, and spread the manure out in the
form of the frames 10 be used and Of the
required size, allowing the manure to ex-
tend at least six inches beyond all around.
To make good bed the manure should
be about two feet deep, but q little less
will answer IL should be spread evenly
in layers, and packed slightly with the
back OF fork as put on, but not tramped
down.
When the required depth il attained
set on the frame and spread over the sur.
face OF the manure five or six inches in
depth Of good, rich soil; then put on the
glass or cloth covers, and keep the beds
closely shut for two or three days, or I'M
ill the soil has become warm from the
heat Of the manure. 1t Is also well TO
bank up the frames with manure, for the
object now ID TO keep all the heat within,