Norwich bulletin., 1914-11-19
HOT BEDS.
Some of the AdVantases-WeII to
 Build Them in Fall.

Many people realize the value hot beds have in the spring for starting their vegetables and furnishing some of the early crops. These people are planning to put in hot beds and this work should be done this fall so as to have them ready for use early in the spring. Some of the advantages of hot beds are: CD Summers are too short to mature proftably certain crops. such as late tomatoes, caulif1oWer, celery, egg plants. peppers, etc.; CD in get ting crops started early there is less danger of destruction by early fall frosts; (3) by starting plants under glass two or more crops can often he grown on the same land during the season; (D vegetables placed on tine market before their normal season de- mand high prices; (5) some vegetables, especially the tomatoes, produce larger crops when started under glass.
 In choosing the location for the hot
 bed one should consider first the ac-
 feasibility of an adequate water SUD- ply. Hot beds should be in con- venient location to the farm buildin,- s, they should also be located near a
 room where potting, etc, can be con veniently looked after. Hot beds should be protected from severe north and west winds; this may be assured
 by locating near buildings or by con- structing board walls five or six feet high on the north and western sides of the hot bed location. If several hot beds or cold frames are used they should run parallel to each other and a space of three or four feet left be- | tween each two for convenience in re- | moving the sash and mats. The bedS | should be not more than 30 feet in l length without a break unless the land | is very high priced. Those breaks are l necessary for place to put the sash l and mats on.
 Another very important considera- 1 ton in choosing locations for hot beds 1 is the natural drainage. Hot beds should not be located where there s 1 no good natural drainage or where they cannot be drained artificially As most 1 hot beds are heated by heat obtained | by the fermentation of manure, it IS 1 necessary to make them deep enough
 so there will be sufficient heat. Here
 in the north it is necessary to have l from F to Is inches of good manure l for this purpose. Four to six inches | of dirt is placed on top of the manure
 and fully six inches should be left for l air space and space for the plants tC l grow in profitably. The hot beds should l not be less than 24 inches deep and generally nearer 30 inches. The beds are always six feet wide. As hot bed
 sash are six. feet long by three feel wide the length of the hot bed is some l the hot bed is raised six inches higher than the front part in order that there may be good water drainage on the sash and also that the suns rays may be more effective. The beds should face south wherever possible. The
 back of the pit being dug for a hot bed should not be within six inches of the depth, which is used in the from I part in order that the back part of tht
 bed may be raised. Dirt is banked I around the back part of the bed so as
 to give protection.
 | The frame of the bed is generally made of wood, although concrete is used more or less. Chestnut is a gooC 1 wood, two-irich material having prefer ence. Two-inch by four-inch cedar l chestnut or locust posts are used IT the corners and have six feet along
 the sides in order to reinforce the bed Cross pieces are generally placed %iz feet so as to brace the two sides froT | caving in, These pieces should neve1 l be larger than two inches by three Einctes as they shade the ground. It is 1 hoped that people in the city will put | in small hot beds this fall so that
 they will be in q position to raise then lettuce and radishes early next year
 and also to start their tomato and cab
 bage plants, etc. Many farmers car
 afford to have hot beds varying in size 1 according to their local conditions.