The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1883-03-14
farm aud Garaem,
The Hot Bed.

No one who has garden even of very
limited dimensions should be content to
do without hot-bed 1t would be bet
ter, indeed, to have the hot-bed without
the open garden, where there is not
room for both, because one may have
vegetables earlier and more of them
through the stimulating influence of the
former. In all cases from one or two
months may be gained by this means.
In most parts of the country it is time to
prepare the bed, and will soon be time to
sow the seeds. We have repeatedly
given, in the closing winter or opening
spring, particular directions for its pre-
paratlon, and now take the following
from the Ohio Farmer. o
"Some gardeners make hot-beds by
building mound of manure on top Of
the ground, but L prefer pit, as 1 think
1T. holds moisture better Select place
where the ground lies fair to the sun and
slopes to the south and east. The north
side of the garden, if the ground lies
right, is very good place. The fence
opposite the hot-bed should be six feet
high and made tight to keep the cold
wind off. The pit should be three feet
wide, fifteen inches deep, and as long as
the needs of the gardener may require.
After the pit is dug, it should be filled
full OF fresh horse manure well mixed
with straw, or, better still, forest leaves.
which should be put under the horses
and tramped well into the manure. In
filling, shake the manure up well as it
is torked into the pit, and then tramp
solid as soon as you have six inches deem
IN the pit; continue in this way until
you have the manure several inches
above the level of the ground, then make
frame of inch boards, three feet wide
and ten inches deep on the front side and
sixteen inches on the back side; set the
frame over the manure, and fill up out
side with the dirt taken out of the pit,
nearly to the top of the frame all around.
Then IT the manure was pretty dry, pour
on several pals of warm water and cover
with the glass right away, and leave it
two or three days, till the heat begins to
subslde, then cover with soil six inches
deep. This soil should be rich and mel
low, and dry enough to crumble easily.
Then in few hours, if the sun shines,
your bed will be ready to plant.
If you have large hot-bed you may
begin by sowing lettuce and radishes and
some other hardy plants, as early as the
10th of March, or earlier if the weather
Is moderate. Cabbage and cauliAower
may also be sown at the same time, but
should be transplanted into cold frame
by the middle of April. If you wish
you. can SOW beet seed as soon as the
10Th OF March, and transplant the same
as cabbage. Tomatoes and other tender
plants should not be sown till about six
weeks before it is safe to transplant to
the open ground. If you wish to raise
sweet-potato plants, the tubers should be
covered with a mixture of garden soil
and sand to the depth of an inch or so.
and in few days the plants will begin
to show. They should not be plante d
much before the first of April, or the
plants will get too large before it is safe
to transplant them"
A substitute for a hot-bed NAV be
found in planting seeds in boxes indoors
at any time in the month of March. The
boxes should be filled with good rich
SOIL. kept warm by artificial heat if ne
cessarry, and placed, where it is practical
BILE, In the sunlight near the window.
Very small pots in boxes are still better,
because the plants, when of sufficient
growth, and when the season becom, 8
warm enough, may be transferred to.
gether with the soil without inuring the
roots OF the young plants. AS the spring
advances, and before transplantine, tn
boxes or pots should be set during the
day in the open air, so as to harden them
to exposure.
Still another method Of gaining time is
to SOW seeds on inverted sods, which NAV
be set in the garden without disturbing
the soil. The sods should be taken from
loose rich soil, and every part carefully
turned over so as to prevent the sprout-
ing Of the grass. Several pieces may be
set in a small box, or in the hot.bed
This method works better with melons
and cucumbers and the like, than with
plants of which the roots are to be eaten.
Corn may be given an early start in this
way, and at least one month gained. But
no plants of any kind should be set out
until both the earth and the atmosphere
are warm enough to insure continued