The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-02-16
Construction and Care Of a HOt-Bed.

Construction and Care Of a Hot-Bed.
Next to good seed and plenty of ma
1ure, a hof-bed is an essential requisite
for good garden, and pays large div
idend on its cost. For family use it is
usually made twelve feet long with three
or four sashes. "a cheap one for
small family wanted by an~inquirer,
viii be found sufficient if half that size.
The sashes should be three feet wide by
six feet long; if larger they are incon-
venient to handle. They may be had of
any carpenter, or the farmer who is
handy with tools and has a little gump-
ton could make them himself For
frame for two saShes of this size, four
stout inch or inch and a quarter boards
ten inches wide by twelve feet long and
2x3 inch scantling or wall-strip will be
sufficient. Square off the ends of your
boards and cut off six pieces five feet,
eleven and ene-half inches long, one for
the front, two for the back and three
for the sides, one of which saw in halves
diagonally so that each half will be one
inch wide at one end and nine inches at
the other, this will give the top suffi
cient slope or pitch to carry off the
water.
Then cut off two pieces of scantling
ten inches long and two twenty inches
long for corner blocks; on the fiat sides
of the long ones naittwo boards, placing
the ends even with the outside edges
and having the top board project half
an inch above them; this is the back of
your frame; another board on the short
blocks in the same way makes your
front Now set one of your diagonal
boards on the edge of one of the end
boards and drive two nails down through
the narrow end to hold them together.
Treat the other in the same way. Then
nail the ends of these end boards on the
corner blocks flush with the outside of
the back and front and even with their
top edges, so that the sashes will lay
down close on them. Care should be
taken to make the Joints of the back and
end boards as tight as possible. Next
cut two strips of board four inches wide
and nail them on the outside of the ends,
and have them project one and a half
inches above them, which will be about
the thickness of the sashes.
Then a similar strip should be put
across the middle of the frame where
the sashes meet and let into the front
and back boards even with their top
edges for the sashes to slide on. Lay
on the sashes, and you viii find a space
of an inch or more between them, into
which fit and nail strip of board one
inch and half wide, set on edge, at
least quarter of an inch thinner than
the width of the space, so that the sash
es will slide easily if wet and swollen.
Now, batten the joints on ends and back
with strips of boards, plaster laths, OF
anything that will aid in keeping the
heat in and the cold out, and your
| frame is complete. If the joints were
| tongued and grooved battening would
be unnecessary. If it is desirable to
take the frame apart to keep. it under
| cover Wlnen not in use, a dozen stout
screws through the ends, instead OF
nails, would hold it together and can
| easily be removed for this purpose.
| Coating of the boards with crude petro-
leum, or coal tar would greatly add to
| their durability.
| Next select sheltered place with a
! southern or eastern exposure and ex-
cavate pit a spade deep and seven
and a half feet square. Fill this with
fresh stable manure, spread evenly Sc
that it viii be at least two feet deep
when packed down. Set on your frame
and bank up around it with the earth
thrown out, then fill the inside of the
frame with good soil six inches deep,
set on the sashes and the job is done.
| The proper time for starting the bed
varies somewhat with seasons and To-
calities. In four to six days, after the
| first rank fermentation has passed of
and the soil has become warm, a con
/ dition indicated by the termination OF
the weeds, it is ready for your seeds.
After the young plants are up a moist,
uniform temperature and ventilation on
warm days are required.
Care should be taken to avoid Undue
ing a weak, spindling growth, or burn
ing the young plants by leaving the
sashes closed too long on a warm sunny
day. 1t is equally important to guard
against too low a temperature. In
severe freezing weather an extra cover
inc of some kind would be a safe appli
cation. Lettuce and radishes should
occupy the front part of the frame as
the lowest temperature and most moist
ure seem to suit them best, tomatoes
cabbage, caulilOwcr, cucumbers, mel
Ons, Lima beans, etc, ETC., occupying
the remainder. Small squares of sod:
or old berry baskets sunk in the soil tt
receive the three last named, and trans
planted with the young plants, greatly
facilitate the operation and render j
| perfectly safe. l have forwarded swee
corn two or three weeks by planting
three or four kernels in small fOwel
pots sunk in the hOtbed and turned on
! in the open ground when it had become
fit for the reception of seed, and felt wei
paid for the trOuble.-COr. N. Y. Tribune