Norwich bulletin., 1916-03-02
MAKE EARLY START
 IN THE FARM GARDEN,
Some Practical Advice Given By Prof. Stevens of Connecticut Agricultural College.

The time is near when each farmer | should begin the foundation for some | early vegetables. This is not a great expense, and not much time is re- quired. That you may have some of these early crops as radish, lettuce, early cabbage, early tomatoes, early cucumbers, few hills of early corn, and perhaps few pepper plants. a small hot bed will be required. writes A. T. Stevens of the horticulture de- partment of the Connecticut Agricul- tural college.
 Go to some protected location, as on the south side of a building or one-half feet deep, about two feet eight inches wide and five inches long, Have this extend north and south and | be so located no water will gather in | the Tit. Make a frame for this above | ground, using two inch plank or even inch boards if you can do not better l This frame has two sides six feet long | on the top, sixteen inches high at one end and ten inches at the other. Then | two ends, one of which will be two | inches less than three feet long and 1 sixteen inches high; the other of the same length and ten inches high. Nail l these at the corners, and set over the pit which has been dug. The frame
 is enough larger than the pit to keep | it from falling in
 
 stable. should have been previously
 riled up to set it fermenting evenly | When steaming well, turn the pile so | that the inside of the first pile be- comes the outside of the new pile | In about seven days this will steam
 again, when it should be put into the pit. well leveled and packed down till within about four or five inches of the surface of the ground. On this
 manure, place three or four inches Irf ,-I0 I0I1 f,,JI
 surface of the soil in the bed about even with the surface of the land out side. Wet down well and let stand a
 few days till the heat begins to sub side.
 When. by running the hand down
 into the soil you see that it has be-
 gun to cool, seeds may be safely
 planted or even young plants if you have them. Rows of radish seed may be Put in eight inches from this, a row of lettuce seed: another eight inches, a part row of cabbage seed, a part row of tomato or some peppers
 The last two should be planted about
 the middle of March. A few hills of corn in strawberry boxes may be
 added in April, and about the twen-
 tieth of April, few hills of cucum- bers in boxes. At the same time a few muskmelons may be planted. covering may be made for the tor by water proofing some cotton cloth | ItldI HdS D66n LaCheu to d ITdIno Ol i sufficient size to cover the top, or a 5 hot-bed sash three feet by six feet car s be purchased for a small amount and will last for years if properly cared for. Glass gives a little better light 5 but breaks more easily. Good plants s cfth be grown in quite cold weather with the cotton cloth.
 g Later in the season, after the early = things are out of the hot bed it may = be planted to celery using some of the I easy blanching varieties like Colder e Self Blanching or White Plume. This 8 planted six inches apart over the beC e will grow up, shut out the light suf' r f1ciently to bleach and no dirt will bt = required. All that a family of fou = will require may thus be grown. 3 The hot bed will not care for itself = but little effort at the right tim' n will enable one to get very good re r suits. When watering. do not gtv' 3 frequent light waterings, but appl! = enough water to soak the soil we'll ant f then withhold for a few days till tn r soil again appears to be dry. Do no s dash water on heavily. A small wa = tering pot which most farms have vii
 answer we'll for this work.
 7, If the glass or cover should be lei @ on all the time the temperature insid l. would become weakened, just as n person is, who never has fresh air. S 2 1t will be necessary nearly every da .- to lower the sash a little to let in fires d air and to cool off the air inside. w o do not want great variations of heal {? This will help to keep it even. A