The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-03-09
the COLD FRAME SHOULD Al
WAYS ACCOMPANY THE
now TO c0NsTRucT ONE
Plants Should First Be Started In
hetbsd Then TrspspIanted to the
Cold Frame.

Tor forcing early vegetables such a.
tomatoes. esq plants. peppers. etc., the
aotbed fs Indispensable. To construct
. hotbed an eastern or southern ex-
poeure should be selected. The
frame should be feet wide and any
desired length. AS q rule for the fam.
ily garden. q hotbed 6 by 6 feet will
be sufficient for rearing all young
plants for tho garden. II would be
much better. however. to have frame
8 By AZ feet. This will afford ample
space for transplanting the plants and
give them more room In order that
tney may properly develop. The soil
- excavatsd to . depth OF Is inches
and the frame built feet wide and
the dssired length and fitted over the
trench. The frame should slope to-
wards the east In order to admit sun.
light The bottom Of the frame Is
6lled with fermenting stable manure.
This should be mixed thoroughly be-
sore being placed In the frame and
sacked frmly and watercd freely i'm
msdiatsly afterwards. In the south
~ inches Of manure will furnish suf-
fcient heat for hotbeds; while In the
north. where the weather Is more Sc
we're. two feet OF manure is usually
used. On top OF the manure is placed
elk inches OF garden soil which has
Been well sifted and is free from all
roots and trash. This should be
slightly. packed In order ITO make Il
perfectly level. The sash of the
frame are always three feet wide and
efx feet long. The frame. therefore.
should either be constructed three.
ak. nine, or IL feet wide. After the
garden soil has been placed In tho
frame. II is well to cover this with one
Inch OF finely sifted woods earth.
Woods earth n used because 1t Is
always free from grass and weed
seeds which are frequently very trou.
olesome when the garden soil Is used.
After the bed has been completed tho
sash ere put - place and the frame
allowed to stand foy OF 4 days befor
planting the seed. This is done in
urdsr to allow the bed to become thor.
ouGhly warm before planting. The
seeds may then be planted. watered
slightly. and the sash replaced. As
soon as the plants come up tho bed
should be ventilated IL the weather
conditions are favepable. Even when
tho temperature Is near freezing in
the early morning. II will be warm
enough before midday to ventilatc
the bed for . few hours. II the
frames are not properly ventilated,
the plants will grow too tall and be.
tome fender and will not withstand
the transplating without being injur-
Cd. When frame Ia properly con.
sfructed II will last for q number of
years. Each year. however, fresh ma,
nure will have to be placed in tho
frame. The same hotbed may be usei
tor various kinds of vegetables. For
Instance one may first grow cabbage
and caulinower. After these are re-
moved or transplanted In the cold
frame. tomatoes. egg plants and pep.
per seed may be sown In the same
hame,r These will be ample size for
transpianting by the time the wealth.
or conditions are favorable. Great
care should be exercised In watering
the plants. IL they are watered too
freely during warm weather they will
grow too rapidly. and II watsred too
freely during excessively cold wealth.
or. they are label to be injured. II
10, therefore. recommended that the
plants be watersd Just enough to keep
them In q good growing condition and
not allow them to suffer.
Cold Frame.-Ths cold frame
should always accompany the hotbed,
the plants first being started in the
hotbed and then transplanted to the
cold frame. and from there to the open
ground whenever the weather condi.
tions will permit. The cold frame
diners from the hotbed In only one re-
spect. II does not have the manure n,
the bottom OF the bed to produce heat.
otherwise the frame is constructed In
exactly the same way as the hotbed.
Cold frames are sometimes covsseJ
with heavy canvas instead OF glass.
This Is much cheaper than the glass
and the frames are more easily han-
died when covered by canvas than
when covered with glass. The plants.
however. will not grow off a. rapidly
but this. as a rule is an advantage
In favor OF the canvas-covered frames
The chief trouble with the amateur
gardener Is that he forces his plants
too rapidly.