Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-08
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$50 AND SUCCESSFUL FARMING
-9gV@A% By AhDREWM eS0zHE
A Miniature Greenhouse on Every
Farm.
AND SUCCESSFUL FARMING

A OA SsS4S
Farm.
Why not have a hot bed for the
winter? 1t may be late to start, but
it is better to start than to never
make an effort in the direction sug-
gested. A few days since I saw a
lady pay twenty cents for a head of
lettuce grown in an ordinary hot bed
or cold frame Other ladies are pur-
chasing lettuce at the price mention
ed from the same source nearly every
day. If they have the money and
ldislike labor, it is all right for them
to buy lettuce. 1t is not exactly fair,
however, for them to quarrel with
the producer and say he is overcharg-
ing them when they might have an
abundance of lettuce at home at a
very small cost. Lettuce planted in
hot beds October first is now well
headed. 1t will keep in this condi-
ton for a long time. 1 know one
family that will be well supplied with
this very desirable and wholesome
green throughout the greater part of
the winter. AS one head is removed
another plant is set in, little more
fertilizer added and so a succession
of fine lettuce heads is kept ready
for use throughout the fall, winter
and spring. 1t is not costly or diff
ficult matter to build cold frame.
to fill it with suitable earth and set
out some lettuce plants.
1 have used the same cold frame
myself for twelve years. One crop
of lettuce from this bed would even
at present prices pay for all 1t has
cost me. Why not have little
greenhouse of your own this winter
at your back door? It will help re-
duce the high living costs and pro-
vide the family with one of the most
wholesome and desirable of leafy
vegetables. The means by which you
can establish a hot bed and so become
a participation in it's benefits are out
lined in this article.
1t is very advisable that every
home garden should have hot BEDS
and cold frames in order that a gard
ener may raise his own plants. me
making and handling of not PED IS
not a hard problem, and 1t gives q
full supply of plants when theS are
eneded.
erably on the south side Of fence
or building. Dig hole from one and
a half to two feet deep, twelve 1eet
long and six feet wide. II one de-
sires to make permanent hot pea II
is well to concrete the sides. II the
expense Of this is toe great oo 4Sas
boards should extend to the bottom.
Make the end posts of 4 X AZ. Have
them extend from twelve to Iour-
teen inches on the north sfde. II Is
preferable to use planks TWO lncnes
thick to make the frame OF the not
bed, but one-inch pianks may nc
used posts should be put on potn
the north and south sides three rect
anart from center to center and "a
x AS should run across the not Deo
connecting these posts. When COIL
Dleted, this frame Will be ~
feet outside dimensions ana nave
slant Of six inches toWaro ~. Inc hoavi.
For covering, purchase the heaVi-
ast canvas that can be obtained, TACK
II along north side, and hasten the
other end to a round pole so tnat
II can be easily rolled up when not
desired. Canvas is the cheapest COW
ering and will serve. but II Is hot
the best. It sometimes becomes nee a
on cold nights when the canvas Is
used, Canvas may be improved ny
giving IT a coat of linseed Oil.
The best covering for the hot bed
ia glass. Sash 3x6 feet can be pur-
chased from any mill and 1t Will take
four Of them to cover the not o er
The sash, however, will last Ior
YEARS if cared for, while the canvas
" Of course. there are several ways
Of heating the bed. One is the use
of steam pipes, seldom, II ever, 1ea-
sible. Another Is tue, dlso CT
failing expense and bother, ana,
therefore, seldom used except by
large operators.
The most common. SOURCE OF neat
is fernenting manure. Clean morse
manure of as near the same age as
possible is best. Ordinary bar BAL. YARD
for hot bed work. If there is too
much straw in the manure it will
burn out too quickly: If it is wet
and soggy, trouble will be encounter
ed in making it ferment properly.
The manure for the bed should be
put in a pile, under cover, and al
lowed to ferment for three, four or
see that in various parts of this pile
fermentation has set in. To make
this fermentation uniform, the pile
should then be shoveled over and al
lowed to remain for another week,
when it is ready to put into the hot
bed.
The bottom of the excavation
should have small chunks, rocks, and