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The Cornell Reading-Courses 



through the soil or under a false bottom in the pit and thereby giving to 

 the plants bottom-heat similar to that supplied by manure. 



As soon as the beds are open, the horse manure — which has previously 

 been piled and brought to a uniform heating by one or two turnings — is 

 forked into the pit. As each layer of 4 to 6 inches is put in, the manure 

 is tramped level and slightly pressed down. This filling in and tramping 

 of the manure is continued until the pit is filled to a point within 8 inches 

 of the top of the plank on the front of the bed and 14 inches of the top of 



Fig. 20. — Hotbed pits used for storage of flowering and ornamental hotbed plants 



the plank on the back of the bed. A thin layer of 3 to 4 inches of loose, 

 dry straw is then placed over the manure. This straw allows for a more 

 even distribution of the heat that arises from the fermenting manure, and 

 practically docs away with later " hot spots " in the soil. 



Prepared hotbed soil, to a depth of 4 inches, is placed over the layer of 

 straw. This soil is composed as follows: cither 1 part sand, 1 part leaf 

 mold, 1 part manure (well rotted), and 1 part good garden soil, screened 

 through a half -inch-mesh screen; or, as is the practice of many gardeners, 

 1 part well-rotted manure and 1 part good garden soil, screened as above. 

 Whichever method is used, the prepared soil is generally placed in piles 

 and turned two or three times during the year so as to be well mixed. 

 This is called composting. It usually takes two years of composting 

 to obtain the best soil, although compost one year old will give satisfaction. 



