1624 



The Cornell Reading-Courses 



Hotbeds of brick and stone 



Brick or stone may be employed in place of concrete, either for the 

 entire construction or using brick or stone below the ground and a wooden 

 top 12 inches high in the back and 6 inches in front. In using brick or 

 stone, the inside face of the walls should be as smooth as possible and all 

 cracks should be filled with mortar. If the brick or stone is carried to the 

 full height, a few bolts, as in the concrete structure, should be used to 

 fasten the sill. Crossties should be used, and the whole construction 

 should be similar to that of the concrete bed. 



Fig. 18.— Substantially built hotbed pits, empty, waiting for the manure 



RELATIVE ADVANTAGES OF VARIOUS MATERIALS FOR HOTBED CON- 

 STRUCTION 



The advantages that brick, stone, or concrete pits have over wooden 

 pits are: first, they are quite free from rats and mice; second, the bed, 

 once built, is permanent. The principal drawbacks are the extra expense 

 over that of wooden pits, both in cost of material and in cost of labor, 

 and the fact that the brick, stone, or concrete pits cannot be easily removed. 



SASH 



Sash 3x6 feet in size may be bought from reliable firms dealing in green- 

 house material, or from many of the large lumber firms. Unglazed sash 

 costs about $1.25 to $1.75, and the glass for glazing may be procured, 



