The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-03-15
Hot Beds.
Feen Roavditel,s Flor.s


fort, and even profit, that we cannot
urge too strongly upon such of our
readers who have never used a hot
bed to begin this season.
The advantages to be gained by
the use Of hot bed are that tender
plants, such as tomatoes, sweet corn,
lima beans, ETC., may be started in
this way several weeks before it will
be safe to plant them in the open air,
and thus the bearing season not only
forwarded, but heightened. This is
especially true of the tomato and
lima bean the former being naturally
perennial plant will continue to
grow and bear until cut down by
frost. Thus it grows into an herba-
ceous shrub in California, living from
year to year, while the lima bean is
thoroughly tropical plant, and finds
even the longest of our summers too
short for its complete development.
Tomato plants may be bought in the
spring, but those who have once tested
the superiority of homegrown plants
VIII uecldedly prefer them.
For a tomato hot bed, preparations
should be begun as soon as possible,
by getting ready pile of the fresh>
est horse. manure attainable. This
should contain a moderate amount of
bedding straw, and should be thrown
into conical heap in order to start
fermentation and to avoid too much
soaking from cold rains. After it has
stood few days it is well to fork it
over again, which may be accom-
plished in the removal from the hot
bed, where it should be piled again.
The best situation for hot bed is on
the south slope of a hill, or the south
side of building or of a tight board
fence. Ii the ground is such that it
can be thoroughly drained, a pit
shonld be dug about two feet deep
and a few inches larger each way
than it is intended the hot bed shall
be; but if drainage is defective. the
PIT will have to be Swallowed, and
tie necessary depth mus, be attained
by making box without top or bot.
tom, two feet deep, and the requisite
length and depth which is to be set
in the ground as deep as may be and
then banked up around the sides with
earth Into this pit or box. the ma
nure should be placed during the first
week OF March, care being taken to
distribute it as evenly as possible, and
to pack it gently either with the
back of the fork or by treading it
under board. When the pit is full,
sprinkle it thoroughly with warm
water, set on the not bed frame,
(which ID box without top or bot
tom, a foot high in front, few inches
higher at the back, and the requisite
length and bredth-a good size for
family hot bed will be five by five
and one half teetl, Put in the hot
bed soil, which should be a mixture
OF leaf mould or rotten logs and sand,
bank up the sides OF the box nearly
to the toy, and cover with the sash,
if ready, or with boards. In a few
days the soil will be very hot; this
heat must be allowed to subside a
little before the seed is sown, else
the young seedlings will be scorched.
III from five to seven days after the
hot bed WAS made the soil should be
cool enough fog lantiDg, when tonaa-
toes, peppers early cab5ages, etc,
may be sown, covering the seed as
lightly as possible, and water fire.
quenlIy BY the time the young
sprouts a. pear, which will be within
three or tour days after planting, the
sash must be ready which may be
either Inc standard hot bed sash,
thirty inches wide by six feet long
and glazed with four rows of eight
by ten inch glass, set shingle fashion,
or it may be made of oiled muslin,
which is pronounced FULLY equal to
glass, besides being cheaper and more
convenient on acc INT of it's superior
lightness. The muslin may be pre-
pared as follows: Make a square
frame OF one and ope>lorth inch stuff,
with single bar down the middle !;
cover it with comm II, heavy un-
bleached muslin, and paint the mus
lin with two coats of boiled linSeed
oil. Alter govt has commenced,
care must be- taken to air the plants
during the day when the sun is shin
ing, by raising the lower edge OF the
cover. Neglect OF this may cause the
loss OF tie whole seasons labor
through searching OF the plants. The
hot bed should also be watered about
three times week, using warm wa
Ter carly III the season and cooler
aiLerward