The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-03-23
HOTBEDS.
BY Leroy scady Minnesota
University Farm.

! Hotbeds and coldframes can often
be made good use of by the farmer o.
| small gardener, as we'll as by the mar
ket-gardener, to start early crops, such
as lettuce, radishes, early cabbage,
| caulifiower, onions, etc. One of the
I simplest methods of constructing a
hotbed is as follows:
Sash-Ordinary storm windows may
be used as sash for the hotbed, but
for this objection, that the water does
not easily run off of them, and if any
are broken they are much more ex-
pensive to replace than regular hot
bed sash, which are quite easily OBJ
tanned. They should be either 3x6, or,
perhaps better size is AXIS. They are
made in such way as to allow the
, water to drain off readily. from the
frame.
Frame-Make a frame five or six
feet wide, depending upon the size of
sash to be used. and as long as need
ed. This frame should be six inches
higher on the north than south sides,
to allow the water to quickly run off
OF the sash. Usually board or plank
twelve inches wide is used at the
north and a six-inch board at the
south, or else twelve-inch board
sunk low enough to permit easy drain
age of water of the sash. The ends
| are boarded in, and occasionally strips
placed across, to help support the
| sash and make the frame solid.
Location-The hotbed should be To-
Gated with southern exposure. near
that is well drained, protected from
the wind on the north and west, and
OH which the sun shines most of the
day.
Manure-The manure is to supply
the heat; and care must be used, in
preparing this, to have it evenly
heating. Collect horse manure from
the pile where the hotbed is to stand,
week or so before It is to be used;
turn occasionally If necessary, and if
not heating we'll add hot water. Do
not let this manure fire-fang. When
it is heating nicely. spread out over
the ground to the depth of a foot or
so, little wider than where the frame
is to stand. Set the frame on this, and
fill in with more manure to the depth
that is needed. Early in the season
the manure should be packed in the
frame to the depth of from sixteen to
twenty-four inches; later twelve
inches will probably be necessary. A
hotbed of this sort may be started
about the last of February. It is i'm
portant that the manure in this frame
be spread evenly, that there be no
chunks in it, and that it be packed
firmly all over the bed, especially
near the sides of the frame Put on
the sash, and leave this for a day or
two, until you are sure the manure is
heating; then put in with sandy loan
soil to the depth of from four to six
inches, depending upon the plants that
are to be grown. If the soil is frozen
somewhat, leave until thawed out, or
until it can be worked easily with a
rake: then rake and smooth until in
fine condition. It is usually better to
let it stand two or three days, to per-
to let the gases escape.
Lettuce, radishes and similar plants
may be sown directly into the frame.
Lettuce may be grown in the house
and transplanted to the sash; or a
crop of small lettuce may be planted,
and radishes sown between the rows.
The radishes will be out of the way
by the time the lettuce is large enough
to need the space.
ventlation-Water and ventilation
of hotbed are two important mat.
ters, and usually the stumbling block
for an amateur attempting to use
them. On bright, sunny days very close
watch must De kept of the frames, to
prevent the temperature rising too
high It is well to ventilate a very
little on the side away from the wind
as soon as the temperature in the hot.
bed rises to Is degrees or over. Later
in the day, as soon as the sun begins
to go down, the sash should be closed
down. 1t is good plan to put the
sash down while the temperature is
still quite high, as the glass allows a
great deal of heat to escape In Sc
we're weather it is we'll to cover the
sash with another sash, or mats, straw,
boards, or something of this sort, to
keep in as much of the heat as needed
Some of tine harder crops, such as
lettuce, may be frozen without much
danger, providing they are thawed out
slowly in the morning.
Watering-The hotbeds, should be
watered early in the day on bright,
warm days. so as to give the plants a
chance to dry off before night. It
usually is not necessary to water the
hotbeds very often early in the sea
son. When they are watered, how.
ever, the plants should be thoroughly
supplied.