The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-03-16
for the farmer.
THE HoT-BED.

We have urged from year TO year npOn all
who wish to have early vegetables, the great
inheritance Of a bot-bed. Market gardeners
find it an absolute necessity, as ii is indsPeDsa-
lie N ali who do not wish to wait upon the
slow revolution Of the seasons. Even q very
small garden may be greatly increased in value
by making use Of it, inasmuch as from one to
two months may he gained IN time, in produe-
ing early vegetables. We have more than once
pnblisbrd directions for constructing a hOt-bed
AZ small cost and at little trouble. These direc-
lions msy be in the heads of our readers, but We
renew them by publishing the following from
the NEG Eagidad Farmer.
PREPARATION.
The first thing to do in the spring is to get
quantity of horse manure ready for use. Ma
nure from gram fed horses is the best, because
IL will heat more readily. the manure from
horse fed exclusively upon bog hay or dead
straw would make poor material for heating
the soil of hot bed. Having secured the ma
nure il must be forked over TO let in the air,
for plenty of air Is necessary to any kind of fer
mentation. Throw 1t into high heap, leaving
il as light as possible. When il begins TO warm
up in the middle, which may be learned by
tIrnsting in a small, smooth stick, it should be
shoyelled over again, TO bring the outside and
bottom into q fermentiug state. Repeat the
throwing over till the whole pile is thoroughly
warmed through. Plenty of straw bedding or
forest leaves mixed with the manure in the pile,
will help TO keep the heat constant and uniform.
2
location Of the bed should be made ready. In
selecting a location, it ia well to take advantage
Of wooded hill, some building, OF q high board
fence at the northern side, to break the wind.
1t is quite common to build a tight board fence
about six feet high, as special protection from
cold and wind. Sometimes the fence has shut
tiers attached, which eau be let down over the
beds, or turned up and fastened back when not
III Use.
CONSTRUCTION.
Hot-beds may be made upon a large pile of
warm manure, placed on the surface of the
ground, pits may be dug for receiving the
manure. In wet locations the former method is
to be preferred, as standing water will put ont
the fire in pile of heating manure just as efec-
tually as it will put ont other fires If the loca-
ton is a dry one, as where the soil is sandy with
a loose, porous subsOil il will be better to dig
pit for the manure. In either the manure
must extend in all directions several inches be-
yond the frame that is used, otherwise there
will be very little heat, at the edges of the bed
Having dug the pit of sufficient Depth the ma
nure being alive with heat, is to be carried and
thrown in, forkful at a time, keeping it as
level as possible. Ii will not do TO tread the
manure very hard, the heat would be too
much checked, bat it should he pressed down
slightly by the fork, and light person may
walk once around on the edges The middle
will settle solid enough when the soil is put on
in which the plants are to grow. The depth of
the manure in the pit will depend upon the sea
son of the year and how long the heat will be
wanted. 4 thick bed will hold heat longer than
a shallow one, so the earlier the bed is made in
spring the deeper mnst the manure be laid.
Two feet of manure is not too much if the bed is
started the last of February or fist Of March.
Later, in April, frames are placed over a foot
of manure in beds made for setting INT plants
that require checking or more space for develop
ment. Having filed the pit with manure to the
desired depth, put the frame in place over the
manure. The frame may he cheap affair of
inch boards for a late bed, but an early one
wOnld be better protected by Il plank frame. and
with the earth banked up against it on all sides
The frame should have square corners and must
lie the right size to receive the sIshes. Sashes
are usually about three feet by six feet, with
Tapped glass laid to shed water. After building
the frame, which should be few inches deeper
at the rear side, in order to give enough pitch
To the sashes TO turn of the water from rains or
melting snow, the soil to plant in should he
evenly spread over the bed to the depth of five
or six inches. The soil should he prepared the
fall previous, and must lie kept in dry place
under cover till needed for use. The soil must
have large proportion of sand intimately mix
ed through It. This is to prevent pudding and
baking under !hc use of the watering pot.
Good garden loan, old hOt-bed manure, and
sand in about equal proportions, will make
rich mellow soil for receiving the seeds. 1t will
be all the better if il has been freed from weed
seed by sprontins them in the soil few days
previous TO planting the garden seeds. If the
manure he hot, the weed seed will mostly sprout
by the third day, when good raking of the bed
will utterly destroy them. The bed is now
ready for the seeds we wish to SOW, and they
may he drilled in. in rows, or sown broadcast,
according TO what is to be done with the plants.