The Portland daily press., 1895-03-22
THE FARM HOTBED.
How to Make 1t and How to Manage Tt
Keep the Bed Full.

How to Make 1t and How to Manage Tt.
Keep the Bed Full.
The ordinary hotbed sash is by
feet, convenient size, though any old
sash will answer the purpose. Construct
the frame as wide as the sash is long
and as long as it is desired to make the
bed. Have 10 inches high at the front
and 18 at the back. Make bed at least
" feet thick and extending a couple
of feet beyond the frame all around of
horse manure which has begun to heat
violently. Tread this bed down firmly,
for manure thrown loosely together will
heat rapidly for short time and then
become cold, but when it is made COM
paratively firm it will give forth gen.
tie heat for six or eight weeks. When
the bed has been prepared, place the
frame upon it and bank it up we'll to
the top with manure. 1t is now ready
for the soil. Use light garden loam
which has been prepared the fall before.
Place five or six inches of earth on the
manure, leveling and fining with an
iron toothed rake. Then put on the sash
and leave the bed alone for few days
before planting the seeds. If the seeds
are put in at once, the manure may be-
come 30 hot that the tender germs will
be destroyed. About the third or fourth
day the heat will uanally subside to
about 80 degrees; theS it will be safe to
sow, according to American Agrioul-
turist, authority for the following direc-
tions: Mark off in rows about four inch
es apart, scatter the seed thinly in the
drills, cover with half an inch of soil
and pat the bed down over the rows
with a board or the back of hoe.
Radishes and onions do not need
transplanting, but transplant tomatoes
and cabbage once or twice before setting
in the open ground, giving them more
room each time; also transplant lettuce
when it gets its second or third pair Of
leaves. Set three inches apart each way,
and it will soon become large enough
for use. Always keep the bed full. As
soon as one crop is taken out put in
something else.
Open the bed and let in fresh air
when the weather will permit. Asst be.
comes warmer the sash may be removed
altogether during the middle of the day.
but must always be replaced when it
turns cool toward evening. When the
water begins to gather on the inside of
the glass, it shows that the air is get
ting damp and heavy, and if not changed
the plants will smother Or the temper
ature will get too high, but always
avoid letting in cold draft directly Oh
to the plants. Water sparingly in cold
weather and never when the sun is very
bright, for the drops of water on the
leaves under the glass act as a lens and
burn the leaves SO that they will turn
brown. For this reason in bright wealth
er the watering should be done either
in the morning Or evening If too much
water is given, the bed will become
soggy and dead, and the plants will turn
yellow and cease to thrive. To avoid
this let the bed become quite dry before
watering, and then give it thorough
soaking. On cold nights or in stormy
weather the glass should be covered
with mating Or boards, Or even hay or
straw, to keep the temperature from
falling too low. A we'll managed hot
bed will more than pay any family for
the trouble. Il i