226 MISCELLANEOUS WARM PLANTS. 
soil, strong bottom heat, and the more light the better. 
We cover our benches with about 8 inches of soil, the 
lower third of which is a layer of old sods. The top 
soil we make by adding about one part of well-rotted 
manure to two parts of rich garden loam. The soil 
must never be allowed to become dry, and_ especial 
care must be taken to apply enough water to keep the 
bottom of the soil moist, and yet not enough to make 
the surface muddy. With the strong bottom heat which 
we use for beans, the soil is apt to become dry beneath. 
80. A bench of Sion House winter beans. 
We once had a good illustration in our houses of the 
accelerating influence of bottom heat. One bench, to 
which no bottom heat was applied for the first three 
weeks, gave beans fit for picking on December 27. On 
another bench in the same house, to which heat was 
applied from the first, and upon which the same variety 
was sown at the same time, the second sowing of beans 
had been up for nearly two weeks at that date. The 
lack of bottom heat delayed the crop fully four weeks. 
The house should be light, and the benches should be 
near the glass. A good bench of beans is seen in Fig. 80. 
