The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1916-03-11

painted. A size convenient for handl-
ings and especially adapted for home
gardens, is about two and one-half by
four or five feet, with glass about
lOxl4, laid with not more than one
quarter inch lap. They should be
made like skylight sash.
The frame should be constructed of
sound one-inch lumber, the back 12x14
inches high. and the front 10x12. 1t
must be well fitted to the sash, so as
to allow as small opening as possible
and yet permit the sash to be easily
moved up and down, even when the
frame is quite wet. r-
The soil in the hotbed must be light,
rich and friable. Any considerable
quantity of clay in it is very objec-
tionable. If possible the soil should
be unfrozen when put into the bed.
Gardeners generally prepare the soil
IN the fall before covering the pile
with sufficient coarse manure or straw
to keep out the frost
Careful attention is required In
making the bed as future success lar
gely depends upon the manner in
which this work is performed. Having
iShioHOu Ilit SlO" anu lCc, tTeCJ a
rectangular bed one foot larger each
way than the frame to be used, care
fully shaking out and spreading each
forkful, and repeatedly treading down
the manure so as to make the bed as
uniform as possible in solidity, COM
position and moisture. 1t is of the Ut
most Importance that this shaking
apart and even pressing down of the
manure be carefully and thoroughly
done. Where this attention is not
given, one portion will heat quicker
than the others. and the soil will settle
uneveniy, making it impossible to
grow good plants.
The right depth of the bed varies
with the climate, season and kind of
plants to be grown. A bed that is
shallow will quickly give high tenn
perature, which will soon subside; one
that is deeper, if well made, will give
more moderate heat. and last con-
siderably longer. A bed about two
feet deep will be best for general pur-
poses.
The bed completed, the frames and
sash may be put on and fresh manure
carefully packed around the outside to
the very top. Should the weather be
at all severe, this outside banking
must be replenished as it settles.
The bed should then be allowed to
stand with the sash partially open for
a day or two, to permit the steam and
rank heat to pass off. The earth
should then be put on and carefully
leveled.
The soil must be dry and friable. If
wet or frozen ground must be used it
should be placed in small piles so that
it may well dry out before spreading.
At first the heat will be quite vio-
lent, often going up to 100 degrees,
but it soon subsidies, and when it gets
down to 80 degrees the seed may be
planted.
Every season thousands of hotbeds
fail of good results for the reason that
the soil is not allowed to dry out. and
the first rank heat not permitted to
pass off. The consequence is that
seedsmen are blamed for failure re-
sulting from over heat, or wet, soggy
soil.
1t must be borne in mind that the
essentials for success are steady,
uniform degree of heat and moisture,
the soil at all times kept a few de-
grees warmer than the air, and the
careful hardening off" (by exposure
to the air and diminishing the supply
of water) of the plants before trans
planting them into the open air.
The temperature inside of a we'll
built hotbed will rise very quickly to
90 or 100 degrees upon still, sunny
day, even when the temperature out
side is far below freezing. On the
other hand, the temperature will
quickly fall to that outside if upon a
windy, cloudy day the sash be left
open ever so little.
A rush of cold air driven over the
plants is far more injurious than the
same temperature when the air is still
During cloudy weather bed will
go several days without watering, but
will dry up in an hour when open on a
sunny day,