The Rice belt journal., 1916-10-27
GLASS COVERED HOTBEDS
FOR SOUTHERN GARDENS
U. 5. Department f Agriculture.

Washington, Oct. 23.-Glass cvoered
hotbeds, and cold frames with either
glass or cloth, may we'll be built at
this season in the South by farmers
and other garden owners who do not
already possess them, say specialists |
Of the U. S. Department of Agricul-
ture. In this section a number of diff |
ferent vegetables and Towering plants |
can be grown throughout the winter |
with the protection of such equip
ment. Even in the colder portions
Of the South, the beds and frames
will be needed in late winter and early
spring for starting early plants, and
in many instances the garden owner
has better opportunity to build them
now than he will have later.
A hotben exc feet, or one covered
by two regulation glazed sashes, will
be lar geenough for the average gar
den and can be constructed rather
cheaply. A backyard gardener may
even find that bed 6x3 feet, covered
b yone sash, is sufficient to meet his
needs. In the colder regions Of the
South some form of heat should be
supplied. Fresh manure from the
horse stable will be found satisfactory
for this purpose. Turn the manure
two or three times before placing it in
the bed, in order to make it uniform in
composition and mechanical condition.
Make the excavation for the bed about
18 inches deep and put in Is to IL
inches of fresh manure, packing 1t
we'll by trampllng. Make a frame to
fit the sash to be used. This may be
of boards IL inches high on the north
} and seeral inches lower on the south
side, so that the sash will have q
, slight slope toward the sun. Place
, or 5 inches of good garden loan over
/ the manure and cover the frame with
hotbed sash or heavy canvas, pre-
ferably the former. The manure will
: heat quite rapidyl for the first few
days. During that time ventilate the
} bed frequently, to allow the gases tt
escape and to lower the temperature
\ The seeds should not be planted unit
the temperature goes down to 80 O
So degrees Fahrenheit. After tn
: seeds have been planted, close atten
: ton should be given to the watering
, and ventilation of the bed. The sol
} should never be allowed to dry out
as an excess of moisture stimulate
\ the development of diseases, especial
< ly damping-off. Water should b
Z applied early enough in the day t
( allow the plants to dry before nigh
? Ventilate the beds during the heate
, portion of the day, but cover thel
, in time to insure their warming u
p enough to prevent chilling the plant
= during the night.
z In the lower South cold frames ma
< be used instead of hotbeds for
y plants needing protection. SUI
y frames may be used even as far nor
- as Washington, D. c., for certa
- harder plants. These frames a
= made like hotbeds, but no manure
4 used They may be covered either
< sash or some cheap cloth such as u
- bIeached muslin. Such frames, IA
W more feet wide and as much as sc
- eral hundred feet long, are used
DS tsnsively in North Carolina and 9th
% portions of the South by commerc
S truckers.
e The plants which it is practical
z for the home gardener of the South
~ grow in protected beds and fran
" during the winter include lettu
u radishes, parsley and spinach. Tow'
" the latter part of the winter
e out in the open ground in the ca
S start to the plants to be set out
= er in the open garden. If it is de-
N ed to use the frames for flowers
= good plan is to sow pansy seed
~ them in the fall, the plants to be
" out in theopen ground in the ea
M spring. ;.
81 The late autumn and early VIII
e crop of lettuce should have been so
S in the open ground August 10 to :
~ tember 10 and should be set in
- beds by October Is. Head lett
should be set 8 by 10 inches, W
the loose-leaved varieties may be
closer. Seed for spring crop sh'
he sown before the last of Octobe
beds, being transplanted later
the proper spacing for developmer
Radishes may be grown as a c
crop between the autumn and sp
Scrops of lettuce or as filler bet'
eher plants. Parsley seed is
in i've open in August or Septen
, tbs nlautS being transplanted lat
the frames. The leaves may Dc
throughout the autumn and winte