Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-05-25
GETTING Ready for the Spring,


AouS in February most papers
priu, directions for making hotbeds,
illustrated with stock cuts which
have Zone duty for lifetime, This Is
well enough, but the time 10 begin
the hothed is in late autumn, by clean,
ing cat and setting in stock Of fresh
earth from the richest part OF the corn
or potato field. This can be mixed
with a little hen manure and con.
siderable fine stable manure. AMI
placed in the bottom OF the frame, to
remain until spring, when II can be
shoNrlcd out into pile in the sun
whly the manure is being placed, The
frame should be filled with leaves,
vel tyamped in, and If they extend
around the frame and the whole Is
heaped up with coarse manure, straw
or potato haulm, all the better, This
work can be done quite late In
autumn, when no other work Is crowd,
Ing, and the result Is that everything
Is In readiness in the spring, and In,
stead Of foot or more of frozen earth
in and aroundt he frame. the ground Is
uniyokcu and does not need thawing
cut by costly manure heat, and the
earth for filling is also at hand and In
condition for immediate use, Even
# tn" soil is slightly frozen before
getting at the Job In the fall, It will
thaw from the warm ground below the
leaves and be all right In the spring,
says writer In the Country Gentle
man
Another thing that It Is we'll to do Is
to see that the frame is tight and fits
the sashes. Location is worth studying
also, and If better position can be
placed so It is protected from east.
northeast to west-northwest winds, all
the better. If an artificial protection
Is erected. make it longer than the
hotbei. For one six feet square a
windbreak rod long Is none too long,
built close to the north side. This Is
on the superstition that the bed faces
due south. which is the proper way,
However, a bed can face at any angle
from southwest to southeast II condt-
lions are such as to make II seem best.
find little practical difference In
which way an exposure varies from
due south but am inclined to favor
the southwest deviation rather than
the southeast, rs In sunny days the
! bed is left warmer at night. and the
change in temperature In the morning
is not so abrupt as when the early
morning sun shines directly upon the
glass. am aware that this Is differ
ent from the haclineyed literature on
hotbeds, which always directs n south,
erly or casterly exposure.
Where a building can do duty as a
windbreak It Is the proper way, and
next to this, especially in level
wind-swept locality Is u screen OF
| American arbOr vitae. This Is a com.
pact grower, with comparatively mar,
row base. and thrives from Maryland
to Missouri and all northwarj. Trees
two feet high and costing 10 or 16
cents each will make a growth OF two
feet annually. If planted in rich, mel
]
make a compact screen in FIVE years
/ It will be beautiful at all seasons, and
be on duty when wanted. A tight
1 board fence makes satisfactory pro
| lection, but at present price OF lumber
| l. expensive, AMI In most locations un
slightly. unless erected and removed
each spring. better temporary
screen Is made by driving n double
row Of slender stakes eight inches
apart, and packing between with corn
fodder swamp grass, coarse manure
straw or evergreen boughs, the whole
TO be removed when done with, The
ground where the stakes are to be
driven should be protected from frost
as the stakes must be placed before
frost is out in the spring OF course
the stakes may be driven In autumn
but might not be desirable addition
20 the landscape
Finally, in planning a hotbed, |
must be borne in mind that there arr
two sources Of heat--that from thu
sun, and that from the fermenting ma
nufe. The last Is constant Tor time
gives bottom heat, and carries Thu
plant through the nights ana Thu
cloudy days 1t should not be made u
DO double duty by thawing surround
ing frozen soil and frozen earth place.
on top OF II. II by little care thi
fall the manure can be made to DO It
full duty next spring, there Is not onl.
economy but much greater assursnc
of success in having the hotbed d.
what Is wanted-that of advancing tn
season. The suns heat costs nothing
hut is wonderfully helpful, and bot
supplies Of heat should be fully con
served by close structure and tn
warjing OF Of cold winds
Datn