The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-03-26

TffE FIRM H0TBEO

There Are Two Plans For Making 1t.
Hints Concerning Is Management.
II costs - LITTLE To make and manage
bottled lsssa enough 10 raise al the
plauts nCcaa8i tit il viii be found good
economy 10 have enc one Of tie inn
portant items in Il really good garden IS
to have "a -. sLtply Of vegetables
early. One Of TIE t.i.' ct and best ways
Of doing this is L, grow them in hot
bed, Ono good advantage III growing
them over purchasing Is that with lit
tie care there is cfltala 20 LIZ full sup
ply on hand when tie farmer can find
it most convenient to sci them ont.
In making a hotbcd The place selected
should be one thai can he readily drain
ed There are two plans that can be fol.
lowed. One l. Ia Ulg PIT and put the
whole bed on "a level with tie ground.
The other is to put The led nearly or
quito above the ground. If made early,
especially if the selection Is ono that
admits Of good drainage, digging a pit
is rather the best. as more even temper.
allure can be secured, and as he temper
allure is usually very chauaeahle III the
spring this is often quito tn item.
Dig the PIT 4 TO g feet VIDE and rs
long as may be necessary 1t should be
80 inches deep; then put good layer Of
straw in the bottom and up the sides
about two feet. Then put in the manure
This should be fresh from the horse sta
bles 1t viii be better If there is good
deal of litter like straw or leaves mixed
with the manure. Spread 1t evenly and
tramp it down we'll so that in settling
the whole bed will settle evenly. Put
in about 2 feet Of the manure, and
over the top Of this put a layer Of about
inches Of rich. loamy soil. This,
with the straw, ought to bring the bed
little above tho surface. Bank up
around the bed with soil or set boards
on edge, driving stakes to hold them i'll
place. One side should be made higher
than the other, so that when covered
with boards the water will be kept out.
Cover the bed over carefully when
completed and let it stand three or four
days before sowing the seed. Be sure to
have the soil fine. Mark it out in drills,
for even in the hotbed it is more eco
nomcal Of space to SOW the seed in
drills, pressing the soil down upon the
seed after covering. Whenever the sun
shines ont warm, open the bed, but
cover closely at night and on rainy or
cold, cloudy days. If it is necessary to
water the plants, use water that is milk
warm, and remember that one thorough
wetting of the soil is more beneficial
than half "a dozen sprinklings. If the
season is late and the bed gets cold, take
sharpened broom handle and make
holes down as deep as you can, 6 to 10
inches apart, all over the bed, and fiji
them with scalded bran, pouring it
while warm, and cover the top of each
with little earth.
If surface bed is made, take off or
3 inches of the soil put down "a layer Of
straw around this, set up good. wide
planks, drive down stout stakes to hold
tho plankj in place. Then put in the
manure and over this layer of soil and
cover tho same as before. 1t will be
little better if the bed is banked up
some on tho outside.
A bed 6 feet wide and s feet long will
supply all the plants ordinarily needed,
says tho author Of the foregoing, which
was originally written for tho ST Louis
Republic,