Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-08
HOTBEDS AND COLDFRAMES ARE
FIRST STEPS FOR HOME GARDENERS
Prepare Simple Wooden Box With Well-Manured Soil
and Start Seeds in the Warm Rooms Of
the House
DY USING hotbeds and coldframcs for

DY USING hotbcds and coldframcs for
ID growing early plants oc cabbage.
cauliflowcr. tomato, pepper eggplant,
lettuce and salary. the gardener may
have largo plants to set In the garden
as soon as the weather permits and
thus gain thrco or four weeks in produc-
ing these crops. The hotbcd IL used to
start the very early plants while the
weather is still cold in February and
March. and tho coldrranc for starting
later plants for later trausplantng into
the garden. The ColdframC Is also used
to harden uT the plants grown IN tho
hothcd Plants grown i'm the hothcd arc
tender and cannot he taken direct from
there to tho garden without being hard
oucd OF by being l,cp, IN q cool tenn
pCraturc for ten days or two weeks.
1lotbcds and coldframce differ only in
that hotbcds may have pits, aud fer
tnontiuG horse manure b. used as
source of heat in tho hothcd, but not in
the Coldframc.
Th" frame may he made or boards.
brick or concrete Ir built or brick or
concrete tho hothed wallis and ends cX-
tend from the bottom Of the tWo-root pit
10 the glass sash.
The front wall is from cigh; tn Twelve
inches above the ground and the back
wall four to six inches higher The low
wall should face the south. 50 that the
plants will get the fun benefit of tho
heat of the sun.
Thc ordinary frame is made OF boards
eight inches high IN front aud twelve
inches at the back The ends arc made
to slope from the top of the back to the
top Of the front. \ frame Of this kind
is easily moved from place to place.
Since the size Of glass sash Is three
by siN feet, the frames are made siN feet
IN width and some multiple Of thrCc IN
length, depending upon the number uf
sash to he used Sometimes cloth in
stead of sash is used for trc top.
10 make a hoth-d, enough fresh norsc
manure. without too much straw. must
hc obtained to I'LL the pi or to make u
pilc upon which the frame Is 10 hc set.
The manure Is left in pile until II
gets hot and stcaming II Is then forkcd
over. throwiug the outside into the center
If the now pile. After about a week II
will be hot again aud must I've fOrkcd
over into "A now pilC. In u few days "
win hc hot again aud should be placed
ia the nit in layers sin inches deep, each
one baing trampcd down firmly before
tho next is added When the pit is full.
/ spread aiN inches Of rich garden soil
/ over the manure and put ou the sash
tn protect It from rain or snow
To make surface hotbcd spread tho
heated manure ON the ground IN a sin
inch laycr. about three or -four feet
vi,lrr and longer than tho frame, Tramp
this down until the pile is about two
feet thrl, Then sot on the frame and
bank M with manure against The sides
and ends. rut siN-inch layer Of rich
soil over the manure insid" the frame
and set on tho sash.
! In hoI Ntstl hrrptnV
very hot. but will soon begin to cool
! off When the temperature goes dowi
TO SIS degrees r., the garden seeds should
be pIantod aud the he'd watercd. Great
care Is necessary to give the bed proper
ventilation and vet not chill the plants
The plants must he watcrod regularly
to keep them growing vigorously.
After tho plants are large enough fol
transnIanting and the weather H. milo
enough so that the Coldtrano VIII pro
, teCt them. they may be set III the 'old
frame where they can easily be 'hard
cned or by careful ventilation IN nrepa
, ration for outdoor planting. The plant
I can. Of course, he hardened off IN tn
, hotbed, but that would cool It down lik
a coldframc.
The codframc may ho used for grow
= ing pIants If "A hothed ~ not available
t but the seed should he planted perhap
= three weeks later than In the lotbed
10 Some timc will he gained. however. owe
= waiting to plant out Of doors,
j Foliage crops, such as lettuce. spinaC
9 and kale. do fairly well in partial shade
9 but even they need sunshine two o
4 three hours II day. Plants which mus
Il ripen fruits such as tomatoes and egg
plant should have the sunnicst loca
J. tions.
= Earlier crops can he secured by plant
: ing certain seeds indoors and settin
u the young plants out in the open rardc