Vegetables and Flowers from the Cold Frames 



By Duncan Mclntyre, New York. 



To the enthusiastic amateur gardener nothing gives 

 more pleasure than the growing of plants and vege- 

 tables in hotbeds or coldframes. 



In England I have seen very excellent specimens of 

 flowering plants grown for exhibition in deep cold- 

 frames by amateurs and apart from the pleasure side 

 of using coldframes for plant growing, they are also 

 profitable to amateurs in forwarding vegetables to 

 lengthen their season of growth for exhibition pur- 

 poses, and for the raising of annual flowering plants. 



To the professional private gardener, coldframes 

 and hotbeds are indispensible. 



Hotbeds may be maile either above ground or below- 

 ground. ))ut 1 prefer for early growing a pit about 



YOU CAN i;ii ixrn riiis iramk .matthr ix iiaumlst .\.N'n L'SE tiikm jist likk vm- woui. 



A GRKENIIOUSE TO CROW ALL KIKPS OF ()UT.OF-SE.\.SON VEGETAIiLES .\ND Fr.OWERS. 



four feet deep with concrete sides and Ixittoms, and 

 provided i,vith bottom drains, with provisions for sash 

 on top. 



Material for making hotbeds are generally plentiful 

 on private estates, dry leaves and horse stable manure 

 in equal parts is all that is needed, and turned every 

 three or four days to prevent too rapid fermentation 

 and to thoroughly mix. After turning several times 

 and the excess of ammonia has escaped it is ready to 

 put in the frame, when the material should be well 

 tramped down to prevent the loss of heat too rapidly. 



Generally after placing the material in the frames, 

 it becomes quite hot, but a thermometer placed in the 

 material serves as a guide. 



When the material shows a temperature of 90 de- 

 grees to 95 degrees put about six inches of soil on to]) 

 and rake finely on top, and close the frames for the 

 whole to settle. 



In a day or two the soil ^\■ill be warm and ready for 

 seed sowing. 



Lettuce is one of the most looked for earl}^ articles 

 of diet from the garden, and by sowing seed about the 

 middle of February on a warm hotbed prepared as 

 described and transplanted when large enough to 



handle will produce heads for cutting by May 1, and I 

 find the varieties Hittingers Belmont and Commodore 

 Nutt, with May King for succession, to be excellent 

 varieties for this purpose. 



Cauliflower is another vegetable very much appre- 

 ciated when home grown early in spring and no vege- 

 table responds as readily to good culture under glass. 

 Sow seeds thinly about the end of January, and grow 

 along without a check for to ctit nice heads about 

 April 15 to May 1. The varieties First Crop and 

 Purity are the best I know of for hotbed culture, with 

 Snowball for succession. 



Carrots are another vegetable which responds to 

 hotbed culture, if forcing varieties such as Early Short 



Horn and Paris Forcing are 

 used, and are much valued 

 in spring. Sow in lines 

 about six inches apart, and 

 if sown thinly, this crop 

 needs no tiiinning until the 

 carrots are large enough to 

 use. 



Beet tops are a good sub- 

 stitute for spinach in early 

 '-pring. and by sowing seed 

 ahciut March 1 in six weeks 

 they are ready to use : sow 

 the seed as directed for 

 carrots. 



Radishes may be sown at 

 intervals and if space is 

 limited this crop may be 

 sown between the lines of 

 transplanted lettuce, and 

 used before the lettttce 

 comes to maturity. 



Cabbage is a. vegetable 

 not often given, space in the 

 hotbed, but where quanti- 

 ties and a va.riety of vege- 

 tables is needed in April 

 and May they may be 

 sowing and transplanting as 

 J'he varieties Imperial and 



grown successfully by 

 directed for catiliflower. 



THE SOUTH SIDE OF A BOARD FENCE IS AN IDEAL PLACE 

 FOR TOMATOES. 



