The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-02-19
Con.lrncr Your Own Hot I,sd..

Construct Your Own Hot Beds.
Every farmer should have a hot bed
in Whish TO grow plants, if for his own
use. In a bed OF medium size, say
eight or ten feet long by four feet wide,
enough plants can be raised to stock
q common sized garden, and such plants
can be transplanted with much more
safety than those brought from a dis
lance. Homegrown plants, too, can
be set out gradually as the soil is being
prepared for their reception, and thus
as the stronger plants are removed the
weaker ones will have more room TO
grow, and be ready for trsnsplanting
alEo. The best material for the pur-
pose is q composition made OF stable
manure and leaves from the woods,
which, however, will require consider.
able manipulation before being used.
The manure should first be thrown
into pile any time in month OF February,
mixing Herewith during the operation
about one.third its bulk Of lelves, and
il the manure is very dry, wetting the
same with sUfi ,ient water in order that
fermentation may be sooner introduced.
Manure by itself ferments very rapidly,
and will 'ire.fang' or burn unless mixed
with q due proportion Of something to
prevent it, and thus retain the heat
much longer-leaves, therefore, answer
ing the purpose best. After thus mixing,
the mass should be allowed to remain
in heap for a few days and then turning
again, and il, at the second turning,
the fermentation be found excessive
and the heat very strong, it will be
necessary to add more water to prevent
its burning.
With the material in proper condition
the bed may be prepared by first dig
ging a pit some two feet or go deep, and OF
such dimensions as the bed is to be, and
then filling the same with the heated
material, shaking it in loosely and
evenly during the operation, in order
that the heat may be more uniformly
distributed throughout the mass, but
which will not be the case if the mate
rial be carelessly thrown in. Thus pre-
pared, the pit or bed should be encased
in a frame Of like dimensions made of
plank, six or eight inches in breadth,
around and against the outside of which
the earth should be well banked up so
as to prevent the heat from escaping,
and then, as the material sinks in fer
menting, its place should be supplied
with finely pulverized earth, up level
with the surface, leaving a space of
about six inches between the added
earth and the top OF the frame in order
to afford room for the plants to grow.
The seed may then sown, and the frame
covered with q closely, fitting sash made
for the purpose, after the fashion of
window sash. 1t will be necessary,
however, in order to guard against
frost, that the sash fit the frame closely,
so as to exclude the air, except in mild
weather, when one corner of the sash
should be propped up for admission
of a little air during the middle of the
day. 1t will now be in order to water
the bed every few days, until the plants
have attained sufficient size to set out.
To Attain the Best Results.
If ten steers are carefully fed and
cared for so they will increase 400
pounds each during the winter instead
of 100 pounds each, the difference will
pay for two good bands all winter. II
twenty-five good calves be placed in the
care Of q kind and attentive hand, who
will water regularly with water at the
right temperature, curry regularly and
handle kindly, bestowing favors on the
weakest which are usually pushed
from their food, the additional growth
and good heart with which they will
come out in the spring will pay the
wages. But he must be with them
every working hour of the month watch
ing their health, stimulating their ap-
petites. In this way there is work for
all idle hands, and work which will pay.
And farmers will find in the sharp COM
petition no other style Of farming will
pay.