The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1911-02-24
NOTES OF THE FARM.
COLUMN OF INTERESTING NEWS
THAT WILL BENEFIT
FARMERS.
IIotlNSis.


20 years experience with hotbeds,
the writer cannot recall failure;
that is, a case where a bed froze
out, burned out, or refused 10 heat
up after being made up. Such a
record is not case OF luck, II is
the result OF well tried methods,
faithfully carried out. In a hotbed
we want mild heat of long dura-
ton, and as nearly uniform from
one end to the other as possible To
get these qualities, it will pay any
operator TO go to considerable trou-
BILE, as without them, the whole
work may be in vain, We believe
in, and practice, preheating: That
is, the material is first piled up 10
heat, and allowed to heat thorough
ly. 1t is thereby reduced in bulk,
more pliable, will pack better and
settle less
When building beds, we shake the
manure out thoroughly to get II
even, fine, and well mixed; the
more evenly it Is shaken up, the
more air will be imbedded, which
means more heat. After a bed is
made up. it is Immediately covered
with sash, and shutters If needed,
to retain the heat 1t is then al
lowed to reheat, say As hours when,
If thoroughly, hot, we open, tramp
down carefully, and II any soft spots
are found, carefully level them,
Then the soil is put in; we never
use more than four inches in depth,
which is ample for all purposes For
best results, the soil should be rath-
er dry. 1t will absorb plenty of
moisture in a few days and be Just
right, where a wet soil would be-
come unfit for work.
We allow a bed to decline in
heat for a week or 10 days, be-
fore planting; generally we wait un'
til good crop of weeds appear,
Where there is the least danger OF
surface water, we build on top OF
ground, as water will destroy the
heat as readily as it viii put out
fire. A hotbed site should be
well drained. We have used all
styles of hotbeds-sunk entirely in.
to the ground, partly, and entire
ly above ground. In cold localities
and where manure is scarce, 1t is
good plan to go below the surface
At present we have penty OF
fresh manure, and after 1t has
been used it is just, in the right
condition to top-dress in the summe
by running it out with a manure
spreader-hence we build entirel,
above ground one bed close tC
the other-allowing only 20-inel
walks, which makes one solid blocl
all uniformly warm. The frames ar,
al l-inCh pine boards, the front on
| ly s inches, the back l2inches: eacl
frame for the sash Thus we geI
along with the minimum amount o
lumber and the frames are nova
BILE anywhere. When a crop o
plants is to be hardened off, W,
not only remove the sash, but carr!
the frame away entirely. And whel
all is over in June, the manurO
spreader cleans up the material AM
the land is planted to head Lettuce
cauliflower, or celery, to recoye
any leached out fertility.
| As regards cross bars for the sasl
to slide on, we have never uset
any the main objection to thes,
being the shade they cast, thu
very much reducing the efficiency O
frame There is too much WOO
in sash already. With regard T.
yentlating, our first moves ar
sideways, that is, we allow the cen
ter sash to remain, and slide bot
sash on each side, sideways, an inc
or two to admit light and air be
| tween the sash. When more al
is needed the ends are propped VI
We are thus able to produce at
solutely uniform results from en-
to end. Where manure must b
stored TO have supply at the PROF
er timex the best mehod is to hay
a supply at the proper time, tn
best method is to have livestoc
) tramp it solid as fast as hauled. -
Woods Crop Special. ....
! .