The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-03-01
HOTBEDS AND COLDFRAMES GIVE
ADVANTAGE TO HOME
GARDENERS

BY using hotbeds and coldframes
for growing early plants OF cabbage
caulifower tomato, pepper, eggplant,
lettuce and celery, the gardener may
have large plants to set in the gar
den as soon as the weather permits
and thus gain three or four weeks In
producing these crops. The hotbed IS
used to start the very early plants
while the weather Is still cold in Feb
ruary and March, and the coldframe
for starting later plants for later
transplanting into the garden. The
coldframe Is also used to harden OIL
the plants grown in the hotbed Plants
grown in the hotbed are tender and
cannot be taken direct from there to
the garden without being hradened
off by being kept in cool tempera-
ture for ten days or two weeks.
Making HOtbeds and Coldframes
Hotbeds and coldframes differ only
in that hotbeds may have pits, and
fermenting horse manure Is used as
source of heat in the hotbed, but not
in the coldframe.
The frame may be made Of boards,
brick or concrete. II built of brick or
concrete the hotbed walls and ends
extend from the bottom of the two
foot pit to the glass sash.
The front wall Is from 8 to IL
inches above the ground and the back
wall 4 to inches higher. The low
wall should face the south so that the
plants will get the full benefit Of the
heat of the sun.
The ordinary frame is made OF
boards 8 inches high in front and IL
inches at the back. The ends are
made TO slope from the top of the
back to the top Of the front. A frame
of this kind is easily moved from
place to place.
Since the size of glass sash is 3 by
feet, the frames are made 6 feet In
width and some multiple of 3 in
length, depending upon the number OF
sash to be used. Sometimes cloth in
stead of sash isused for the top.
Use Of Manure
To make a hotbed, enough fresh
horse manure, without too much
straw, must be obtained to fill the pit
or to make a pile upon which the
frame Is to be set. The manure is
left In a pile until 1t gets hot and
steaming. 1t Is then forked over,
throwing the outside into the center
of the new pile. After about week
it will be hot again and must be fork
ed over into a new pile. In a few
days it will be hot again and should
be placed in the pit in layers 6
inches deep, each one being tramped
down firmly before the next is added
When the pit is full, spread inches
OF rich garden soil over the manure
and put on the sash to protect 1t from
rain or snow.
To make a surface hotbed spread
the heated manure on the ground in a
6-inch layer, about or 4 feet wider
and longer than the frame. Tramp
this down until the pile Is about 2 feet
thick. Then set on the frame and
bank up with manure against the
sides and ends. Put 6-inch layer OF
rich soil over the manure inside the
frame and set on the sash.
After a few days the bed will be-
come very hot, but will soon begin to
cool off, when the temperature goes
down to IS degrees F. the garden
seeds should be planted and the bed
watered. Great care is necessary to
give the bed proper ventilation and
yet not chill the plants. Inc piants
must be watered regularly to keep
them growing vigorously.
Transplanting Vegetables
After the plants are large enough
for transplating and the weather is
mild enough 80 that the coldframe
will protect them, they may be set in
the coldframe where they can easily
be hardened of" by careful ventila-
ton in preparation for outdoor plant
ing. The plants can, Of course, be
hardened Of in the hotbed. but that
would cool It down like a coldframe.
The coldframe may be used for