The record., 1912-07-04
EASILY MADE HOTBED
Many Little Details Go Far
Towards Making Success.
Much Care is Necessary in Preparing
soll-No Set Rule Can Be Ap-
piled to Manure on Account
of Its Composition.
CBy JOSEPHINE DEMARD

(By JOSEPHINE DEMARD
At the very first stirring OF the
sar comes 70 most of us a longing tc
sas Dame Nstnre-aEake and go aboal
her spring business. We eagerly iuos
for the first signs of life in the NAPLES
and in the sheltered recesses of the
woods under the dead leaves.
When | feel the first hint Of spring
I start my hotbed. This ! fashioned
out of an old glass cupboard door
some old boards, a saw, hammer and
nails. Critics may find fault with il
but as 1t has been a decided success
! do not mind the verdict of the crit
les. Utility, not beauty, is my aim.
The glass cover had done duty as a
cupboard door for many years and
when the house was remodeled 1t was
consigned to the attic until it was
pressed into its present state Of use
fulness.
The frame measures % inches hisi:
at the back and slopes down the sides
to the front to IL ine les; the glass
frame is fastened to Tie back with
hinges. An excavation was dug and
the frame placed upon it. The eN
cavation Is eight or ten inches deeper
than the frame. and the frame stands
IL inches above the soil at the back
and the front FIVE inches. y stout
stake was driven in the four corners
of the frame to support it.
The bed is located south of the
summer kitchen. a welldrained SPOT
where it will get the sun all day.
The earth is banked around the
frame and ditch carries all the sur
face water away. In the meantime
the heat material was prepared. This
was horse-manure gathered from the
stalls each day and put in a conc
shaped pile.
One-third leaves were added to as
sist the manure to "sweeten" Manure
alone is too dense and will not fer
ment properly unless leaves. straw OF
some sort of litter is added.
As soon as the pile looked largr
enough to fill the frame it was allowed
to ferment evenly. When the mas.
was moist and steaming it was pu
into the hotbed.
II is impossible to give any hare
and fast rule in preparing manure fol
the hotbeds. for so much depends uror
the composition and texture of thu
manure and the state of the weather
1t is safe to say, however, that tht
pile must be worked over severa
times and when it is moist and; warn
Il is ready for the frame.
In the bottom OF the excavation
always place a thin layer of cornstalk,
cut a foot long. for protection agains
the cold earth. When the manure il
rut in ii nearly reaches the top Of III,
soil; then it is well tamped. and aftel
tamping, 1t should reach within tel
inches of the top of the frame II
front
AS a usual thing eight inches o
thoroughly prepared manure will hea
spring hotbed. The bed is then GOV
cred with the glass door and left t.
itself for a few days.
Then FIVE inches of fine, rich, we'll
prepared soil is added; again the GOV
er let down and the bed allowed ts
heat, a thermometer placed in 1t an,
when it registers IS degrees the seed
are sown.
The amateur will want TO SOW scedI
when the bed is entirely, too hot, bu
make haste slowly is a good polio,
in this case.
Before sowing the seeds rake tn,
soil TO destroy the weed-seeds which
have sprouted. Sow such seeds al
tomato, cabbage. lettuce, peppers, etc
but be sure to reserve several row,