Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

| With the ground frozen hard. weather
forecasts predicting snow, and skating
on the streams and ponds, it is hard to
realize that ninety days from now early
gardening work will be in full swing
Nevertheless it is true, and the 1ore'
handed gardener will begin at once 70
prepare for springs coming, II MS
preparations have not already been
made. First of all Is to get the hotbed
or the cold frame ready for growing the
early plants that are to be transplanted
ut the proper time into the garden rows
the borders or the flower beds.
| The making Of a hotbed has been de-
scribed time and again. yet each spring
;nuuiring amateur gardeners seek in
| formation on the subject. If such in
ouirers will address the Department of
Agriculture and ask for the bulletin
prepared by the departments ounetln
force on how to make a hotbed they Will
receive all the information any one could
possibIy require The bulletin contains
descriptions of hotbeds of every size
and suitable for every purpose. and
copies may be had for the asking.
To make a cold frame requires little
work or trouble and less expense. The
greatest item of cost in making either
a hotbed or cold frame is the glass;
By purchasing one Of the double-glassed
sashes manufactured for the purpose
! the gardener will be PROVIDED Tor IN
this line for years, as the sashes are
strongly made, require only to be paint
ed once a year to preserve the WOOD
and replacement of any broken glasses:
The frame for cold frame snouid
have a slight incline toward the south.
so as to catch as much sunlight as
possible The rear of the frame may be
a foot above the ground. with the
front about six inches. 1t is well 10
three or four inches between the shells
to be filed with earth. This protects
the interior of the frame from excess
| sive cold. De not allow the soil of the
from the glass. And do not make the
soil too rich A mistake frequently
made by amateurs is fertilizing the
soil too strongly. This usually results
II a good. ordinary rich garden soil is
used results will be much better.
Cleats must be nailed to the sides and
ends of the inner frame. for the glass
sash to rest upon. II the sash is hinged
to the upper side of the frame it will
be much easier to handle than If it is
simply laid on the cleats. The soil for
the seed bed should be placed in the
frame two or three weeks before the
seed is to be sown. SO that it may be
raked and worked into a thoroughly
mellow condition before the seeds are
planted. After planting the soil must
not be allowed 10 become too dry;
neither must the bed receive water too
frequently or too freely. Just enough
water to keep the soil properly damp
and the plants growing well-that is all
| that Is needed. and experience will
teach the gardener just how much that
is.
Sashes for hotbeds or cold frames are
made in standard size of about six
feet by three feet. One bed of this
size will produce all the plants of to-
matoes. cabbages. cantaloupes, peppers
and the like for a garden for the
average family. and in addition will
have room in which to grow all the
head lettuce. early radishes etc. such
a family can use.
Although winter Is far along, Febru-
airy. the month in which the worst
weather usually Is experienced. is yet
to come. Cold. windy. snowy days and
nights are to be expected during the
entire month, and the task of keeping
the house properly heated will be a
difficult one. If narrow strips of heavy
ings and along the edges of the WIN
dows-provided weather strips are not
already in use-the furnace will not
have to be fed nearly SO often. and
the increased comfort of the family
will be worth far more than the little
trouble of guarding against the ingress
of the cold air. Proper ventilation is,
of course, necessity in any home. but
the ventilation that occurs by reason
Of loosely fitting doors and windows is
hardly to be classed as proper.
Do you sift the ashes from the fur
mace? A resident of one Of the north
west suburbs Of Washington, who keeps