Mexico weekly ledger., 1893-01-26
GardGn,Farn and Field.
By JOHN ]. GILL.
Hot Beds.


Hot beds are important winter adj
juncts of the garden. By judicious
use Of them vegetables may be grown
during winter for the table. Through
their instrumentality cities are sup
piled with salads and radishes long
before they can be raised in the
open air. They are also Of great Use
for forcing and plant raising in the
early spring. No garden should be
without them. They can be prepar-
ed in the following manner: Secure
enough good fresh horse manure to
make a pile from three to four feet
high and from six inches to a foot
wider every way than the box in
tended to be used-that of livery
stables where abundance of grain is
fed is best. If at all dry it should
be well watered and thrown lightly
together to ferment. This usually
takes place in q short time. A few
days after it should be tnrned, well
shaken up and mixed. The strawy
portion should be kept in the middle
of the pile. One turning is generally
sufficient but sometimes two are
necessary. The object of these
turnings is TO heat the and
deprive it of rankness. When this
is accomplished the bed may be
constructed. Select for this purpose
a dry spot, well sheltered on its
north and open to the sun on its
south side. In informing the piles the
manure should be again well shak-
en-, mixed together and packed
down. \ box or frame having a
steep slant onthe side fronting south
with appurtenances for glass sash
should then be prepared and placed
on the top and center of the manure
pile. The sash should be kept closed
until heat is generated. 1t should
then be raised to admit of either
ashes or sand being placed over
the manure within the frame to the
depth of three or four inches and
again lowered. 1t the heat and
steam are excessive cold air must
be admitted. II the ashes or sand
have been removed from the sides
they should be replaced. In a few
days the bed will be ready for use.
Seed can then be sown in pots and
other vessels filled with rich earth to
be imbeddedi in the sand or ashes. II
they are watered occasionally the heat
will loon cause the seed to sprout
and grow rapidly. The sash should be
covered with boards in cold weather.
When the heat of the manure is not
sufficient to keep the plants growing
what are called sidings must be
made. These consist of fresh ma
nure piled up a foot wide all around
the frame. These renew the heat of
the bed and greatly promote its suc-
cessful management.
In January SOW in hot bed early
varieties of cabbage, caulifower let
tuce, carrots, beets, onions and
radishes.
COLD FRAMES.
In the spring cold frames are great
assistants in both city and country
gardening. They may be made by
placing the ordinary hot bed frame
upon ground iudiciously selected
and properly trenched and MANFRED.
Pick out a rich and dry spot shelter
ed on the north and open to the sun
on the south. Dig it up to twice
the depth of an ordinary spade and
mix fresh horse with the
soil as it is returned to the place
from which it was taken. 1t should
be spaded as long and wide as the
box to be used. Put the frame over
this and cover with sash or oiled or
unoiled cotton cloth. Bank up the
sides with manure and operate it as
in hot beds until a suitable temper
ature is obtained. Reduce the sur
face to a fine filth and SOW in drills
about three inches apart. If too
thick when up thin to a proper dis
lance in the row. In a cold frame
of this sort of a few square feet a
gardener or farmer can raise all the
plants he needs. In very cold or
wet weather the sash or cotton cloth
ought to be covered with boards.
With proper management neither
gardener or farmer need go to the
nursery Cor MS cabbage, caulifower,
~eeaery, egg, okra, pepper, tobacco,
fopaatn pr crunaf nctotn ,IonE, E,,o,