Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-03-03
SOME TIMELY FARM TOPICS
USEFUL INFORMATION FOR
AGRlCULTURlSTS.
The Advantageous Hot Bed--Oat-
meal for Poultry Kindly Shell
ter--Pumpkins and Pump
General Farm Hints.
4. The Advantageous Hot Bed

The Advantageous Hot Bed.
The hot bed is one Of those inexpen-
sive little conveniences which every
farmer may have ii he will, without
very much trouble. And the advan-
tage of having one in starting cabbage
caulifiower, lettuce, radish, tomato,
celery and other plants, and in get
ting an early supply of lettuce for the
table, we'll compensates for whatever
expense and care is involved in pro-
vlding one.
The best situation for hot bed is
one where a building, close fence, or
other obstruction breaks the full force
OF the wind, and where the full heat OF
the sun may fall upon it.
For heating material manure fresh
from the horse stable should be used,
mixed, If they can be procured, with
about an equal quantity OF forest
leaves. Five or six wagon loads OF
this material, placed in compact
heap, will soon heat up, especially if
under cover Of shed where it is pro-
tected from cold until it begins to
heat.
One method of making the hot bed
is to stack fermenting manure on the
surface, building it up regularly and
solidly, and taking care to distribute
the long and short manure evenly,
The pile should be two and half
feet high, with square, solid sides, and
should be two feet wider and longer
than the frame of the hotbed. A
better plan is to dig pit two feet
larger each way than the frame and
pack the manure evenly in it. After
this is done the sash should be put on
and kept close until the heat is again
active in the manure. A thermometer
should be used to ascertain the de-
gree of heat generated.
Different plants require different
degrees OF heat, so that 1t is we'll to
have two or three compartments,
each with it's own sash. Thus cucum-
bers, eggplant and peppers do best in
g. temperature warmer and mOister
than the hottest room, while toma-
toes require somewhat less heat, and
cabbage, cauliflower. radish, lettuce
and celery need still less. Ii only one
sash is used. the plants requiring the
greatest heat may he placed in the
center, and the others nearer the out
side, where they can be more readily
cooled off by raising the SASH
Should the bed prove to be very
hot, an increased supply Of water will
be required. Care should be taken to
have it fully up to blood heat. 1t will
also be necessary to have the sash
open longer through the day.
Until all danger from frost is over, it
is Indispensable to have supply of
mats or shutters to cover the frames
at night. Straw mats can readily he
made by tying ropes of long straw to-
gether with Irvine. 1t is also necessary
to see that the beds are properly ven
tilated during the day, as the heat Of
the sun, added to that of the manure,
will raise the temperature too high for
the safety of the plants. No exact
rule can be laid down with regard to
this point, which must be learned by
observation and experience-some-
times at the cost of failure. But when
the management OF a hotbed is once
well understood, it is a very useful bit
of knowledge.
The soil suitable for hotbed
should be light and fine. It should
be sifted to remove all stones Jumps
and rubbish. The addition of leaf
mold, such as is to be found IN the
dc If 1no1ro~ocol
sand, improves the soil, while sohag-
mum moss, thoroughly dried and sift-
ed is better still added in the proper
ton of two or three quarts to each
peck OF SOIL A rich soil is not neces-
sary for starting plants from seed,
but it needs to be fine and light.
Plants may also be started to great
advantage in window boxes in the
house, or cold frames may be used if
the hotbed is too much trouble.
This is simply hotbed without the
packings of manure. It is not sur
prising what high degree of heat
may be obtained in this way, but
great care must be exercised not to
lose at night all that is gained by
day, for which thick covering is in
dispensable. For those who can af-
ford it, and the cost is not or need not
be great, q greenhouse with hot
water system of heating is q great
convenience and a source of pleasure.
One who had taste for such employ
ment will soon master the details of
management and make the green
house one of the most delightful adj
juncts of the farm.
Pumpkins and Pump.
Many dairymen in this section
learned, for the first time, during last
falls drouth the value of pumpkins in
milk production. One raised more
than forty top-box loads of excep-