Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-03-08
Time Now to Plan the
HOtbed for Early Use
HoTBED is A GREAT coNVEN-
FENCE ON FARM AND IN CON-
NEcTIoN WITH GARDENS


any garden. Once the frame is con
structed the work of preparing the
bed in the spring is not great and is
well repaid by the returns. Very little
actual work is involved in caring for
the bed once made but, on the other
hands, it must have a little attention
daily and sometimes several times dur
ing the day to make sure that it isn't
getting too hot or drying out and, oc-
casionalIy, that it isn't left open when
a change of temperature demands that
it should be closed.
The essentials of hot bed are a
pit and frame, or a frame without the
pit, fresh horse manure, soil and win
Ndows. If the principles concerned are
thoroughly understood anybody can
make successful hotbed without both
ering very much about precise meas
urements and quantities. In effect,
hotbed is a large box with a glass
cover slanted toward the sun to get
the full effects of its rays with decay
ing. and hence heat producing, man
ure at the bottom and with a suffi-
cient covering of soil over it to grow
vegetables.
1t should be understood clearly that
the manure is not used for the sake
of fertility but merely to produce heat
hot water pipes might be arranged for
the purpose but outside of extensive
green houses the manure is much
cheaper and more convenient. 1t is
essential that the manure decay with
sufficient rapidity> to throw off
good deal of heat, Horse manure is
the only kind readily available which
does this.
But there is a good deal of differ
ence in this manure. If it has already
been heating for a time the remain
ing heat it has to give off will not
last as long as otherwise. If it is too
dry it will not heat as rapidly as it
should. On the contrary the addition
of moisture will check the heating
for time A large quantity of
coarse straw or hay makes cooler
manure but if there is not enough lit
ter the manure becomes too compact
for the chemical changes to take place
readily. Corn stocks or other coarse.
litter cause uneven heating. There is
also a difference in the heating value
depending upon the feed the horses
have been getting.
The temperature of the bed will
depend upon the quality of the manure
and the amount. If for any reason the
manure available is not of first class
heating quality more must be used.
The amount should be determined by
the requirements of the plants. Sever
al different beds of varying degrees
of heat may be made or one long bed
can be made hotter at one end than
at the other by a thicker layer of man
ure and a thinner one of earth.
Fresh manure with good quantity
of fine litter well Incorporated with
it and just beginning to heat il the
best. 1t should be thoroughly shaken
apart to get rid of Jumps and care
fully tramped down in order to get
an even heat and to avoid drying out.
About two feet in depth of loose ma
mnre will produce a medium bed For
tomatoes more manure should be used
and for peppers and elephants still
more. It requires a great deal of heat
to bring about the termination of
eggplant and pepper seeds in a short
time.
AS a rule it is good thing to use
plenty of manure and then plenty of
soil on top of it, the more soil the
less quickly it will dry out. The
standard directions say to let the bed
heat for a few days and begin to cool
before planting seeds but the present
writer has never had any losses from
overheating in planting the seeds as
soon as the bed is made. The seeds
themselves will stand pretty high
temperature There is more danger of
loss from overheating after the seed
lings are up, but it is seldom or never
this occurs except when the windows
have been left on too long on bright
day or the bed has been allowed to
dry out
The most critical time in the care
Of the bed is the first few days after
the seedlings are up. They are tender
and readily killed or stunted by lack
of moisture, too much heat or toe
much cold. On cloudy days the beds
should be kept closed. They should be
opened for rains but if the rain is to
be followed by a cold night and prob
ably freezing day next day should
be well covered before evening. On
still bright days the beds require spec
ial attention. In the spring there are
some days in which the sun is very
hot while the air itself is cool. 1t re
quires good judgment to know just
how much to raise the sashes. If they
are left tight the sun will burn up the
tender plants. If they are opened toe
widely the bed will be chilled and
growth unduely delayed if no greater