The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-04-20
MAKING A HOTBEO.
How to- Frrment the manure and
Build Up the Bed,

How to- F-rmeHt the manure and
Build Up the Bed,
Most fariurr- ani small gardeners
de9,ad 81 Ut entirely in heating hot
bed. It'll ~ heat Developed by a pile
OF teraent.ak manure beneath the beds.
! Upon til proper preparation of this the
success af tEe whole enterprise will
largely = pend and lack Of attention
t. de- r. Vii insure failure at the cut
set. Fer this reason instructions orig
inallv given i'll II popular way by the
Kansas station may we'll be repeated
here
Good horse stable manure. with not
too much straw or litter IL the best
material It should not he fire fanged
or burned 3at or II develops only
very mild heat
About thu last ~ February or LIST Of
March for northern Kansas or earlier,
according To locality. a pIe Of manure
sufficient in quantity II make bed 10
inches deup under the snsb to be used
should toe haulod To tn place needed,
forked over evenly. any dry portions be-
ing wetted we'll and built mp into a
compact mound Alter II week or ten
days the steAlning of this pile VIII IN
dicate that fermentation Is well under
way. when il should be thoroughly
forked over into another pile. pitching
the outer portions Of tlp first toward
the center of the second. again w ttlng
all portions that ar dry and maklny
all of as even a consistency a. possible
By anot her week II viii again be IN
strong fermentation and ready 10 build
into the final bed.
Some prefer to dig pit of the area
of the frames to be used, into winch
the manure is packed This is more
protected from the cold, and If the beds
can be left in the came place year after
year it is good plan, Others prefer to
build the bed on the surface OF the
ground. in which case it should De
foot beyond the area of the frame ON
all sides. On the care and skill with
which this final building up of the ma
nure bed is done much of the success OF
the undertaking depends. The material
should be carefully shaken over. made
of even texture throughout. we'll lnois-
tened and thoroughly and evenly tramp
ed down Evenness of settling and
evenness of heat both depend upon the
care with which these Instructions are
followed
The frames are next put on, about
five inches of tlne. rich garden loan
filled in and the sAsh put in place. The
frames should be well banked around
with strawy manure to keep out the
cold. 4 thermometer in this soil should
be watched. and the heat in "A few days
will often DO noticed to have rnn up to
100 degrees Not until it drops to 40
degrees should seeds be sown, OF the
young plants Will surely be burned ont
OF the scope Of work that may be
done with these hotbeds only few
things need be mentioned here Radish
and lettuce for early use will be among
the first things sown. seeds Of early
cabbage and caulitlower and later "
tomatoes and eggplant Early Frame or
Early White Spine cucumbers may be
started in small flats or berry boxes, to
be transplanted into cooler frames later
One who is provided with n number OF
sash need not start all Of them as hot
beds. Az soon az cabbage and caulifow-
er are large enough they should be
transplanted into cold frames. which
are simply the same frames filled with
soil " ifhcut heat below and managed
as cool az possible. so as TO get hard,
firm plants to set in the open ground.
These are only few hints as to what
may be done with lot Of sash