The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1895-02-14

a loose pile. will heat violently and un
evenly and soon become cold. What i,
wanted in the hot bed is . steady ant
moderate but lasting heat. To secur,
this the manure should be forked over
and II dry, wstered and allowed to stand
few days and be forked over again
piled and allowed to heat q second time
when, after few days more. it will be
ready for use. The object of this repeated
forking over and piling is to get the whole
mass into uniform degree Of iermenta,
ton.
Gardeners commonly use sash made
especially for hot beds, and glazed with
small lights cut from odds and ends and
SO furnished at very low rates. Such
sash can usually be procured in any Of
our large cities, and cost much less than
If made to order. For garden use, how
ever, small size that can be easily
handled is preferable. The sash should
be 3x5 feet, and the glass not less than
l0xl4, laid with not more than 4-inch
lap. In giving the order to one unaccus-
toned to the work it would be we'll to
state what they are to be used for, and
that they need to be made like sky-light
sash.
The frame may be made OF sound, one
inch lumber, the back IL to IA inches
high, the front 10 to IL. 1t should be
well fitted to the sash, 80 as to leave as
little opening as possible and yet allow
the sash to be easily slid up and down,
even when the frame is quite wet.
The soil should be light, rich friable.
Any considerable amount OF clay in it is
very Objectionable. II possible, it should
be quite dry and unfrozen when put into
the bed. For this reason it is much bet
ter to prepare it the fall before, and cover
the pile with enough coarse manure or
straw to keep out frost.
Making the bed requires careful stten.
ton, as future success depends largely
upon the manner in which this work is
done. Having cleared away all snow and
ice, build q rectangular bed one foot
larger each way than the frame to be
used, carefully shaking out and spreading
each forkful, and repeatedly treading
down the manure so as to make the bed
as uniform as possible in solidity, com
position and moisture. 1t is of the ut
most importance that this shaking apart
and evenly pressing down Of the manure
should be carefully and thoroughly done
unless this is done one portion will heat
quicker than the others and the sell will
settle unevenly, making it impossible to
raise good plants. The proper depth OF
the bed will vary with the climate, season
and the kind OF plants to be raised. A
shallow bed will give quick, sharp heat
and soon subside; deeper one, If well
made, will heat more moderately but con-
tinue much longer. For general purposes
a bed = to 2 feet deep will be best
The bed completed, the frame and sash
may be put on and fresh manure carefully
packed around the outside to the very
top; III the weather is at all severe, this
outside banking should be replenished
as It settles.l The bed should then be al
lowed to stand with the sash partially
open for day or two. to allow the steam
and rank heat to pass off. The earth
should then be put on and carefully lev
eled Care should be taken that the soil
is dry and friable. II wet or frozen soil
must DO used it should be placed in small
piles until well dried out before spread
ing. The heat at first will be quite vio-
lent, frequently rising to 100 degrees; but
it soon subsidies, and when it recedes to
80 degrees the seed may be planted. The
importance Of using dry soil and allowing
the first rank heat to pass off is very
great. Every season thousands of hot
beds fail OF good results from these causes.
The essentials for success are = steady,
uniform degree of heat and moisture ;
keeping the soil at all times few degrees
warmer than the air, and the careful
hardening off" (by exposure to the air
and diminishing the supply of water, OF
the plants before transplanting into the
open air. Simple as these may seem to
be there are many difficulties in the way
OF securing them, prominent among
which are oyerheating the air under a
bright sun. Without experience one
would scarcely believe how quickly the
temperature inside OF well built hot bed
will rise to 80 or 100 degrees upon = still,
sunny day, even when the temperature
outside is far below freezing; or now
quickly the temperature will fall to that
outside, If upon windy, cloudy day the
sash is left open ever so little. Besides,
such rush OF cold air driven over the
plants is far more injurious than the
same temperature when the air is still.
Again, bed will go several days without
watering when kept closed during cloudy
weather, but will dry up in an hour when
open on a sunny day. The details O.
management, however, must be learned
by experience; but may easily be &C.
quired by one who gives the matter care
full attention, keeping constantly in mird
the essentials given above.
A cold frame is simple construction
OF boards for wintering cabbage. lettuce.