238 ANNUAL REPORT 



Another and a better way to make hot beds is making them on 

 top of the grouud. In this case it is only necessary to make 

 boxes or frames. Take two boards, any length to fit the sashes — 

 the back board should be about eighteen inches wide and the 

 front twelve or fourteen inches. Then saw them of a length to 

 fit four or five sashes — (the hot bed sashes are usually five feet long 

 and three and a half feet wide). Then nail the end pieces 

 on and strips across for the sashes to rest on and the frame is 

 complete. 



Now lake good, fresh stable manure, spread it evenly over the 

 ground about twelve to eighteen inches thick, according to the 

 time the hot bed is made, if early in the season the manure 

 should be thicker so as to hold the heat longer. Tramp it down, 

 and put on the box, the higher side toward the north, so that it 

 will slant to the south. Then fill the box up almost to the top; 

 tramp down again; put on sashes, and bank it up all around so 

 that it may become evenly heated all over the bed. After that, 

 treat just as in the former method. Seeds may be planted in the 

 beds as soon as the temperature is right — say from 80 to 90 de- 

 grees, but it should not be over 90°. Potted plants should be 

 plunged in the earth. 



Care must be used in watering; it must be done on warm days 

 and near the middle of the day so as not to freeze the plants when 

 watering them. At nights the sashes should be covered either 

 with boards, matting or coarse manure, so as to keep the cold out. 



Yery careful attention must be given to airing the plants on 

 bright sunny days. They should be opened for a little air in the 

 middle of the day, but the sashes must be raised so as not to let 

 the cold Avind blow directly on the plants. 



Hot beds may be started any time from the middle of February 

 until the first of April; for amateurs it is best not to start them 

 too early. 



SUGGESTED CHANGE IN AWARDING PREMIUMS. 



Dr. Frisselle. In the offer of premiums by this society, it seems to 

 me we have some large premiums offered. For instance, premiums 

 heve been given as high.I think,as $20 for the largest number of var- 

 ieties of grapes. There are very few varieties that are grown in this 

 state. When you have mentioned the Concord, Delaware and 

 Moore's Early you have got pretty much through with the varie- 

 ties that are of any special value and we should be very shy in 

 planting any large number of other varieties. Now, I think, Mr. 

 President and gentlemen of this society, that we might with pro- 

 priety offer a premium, for instance, on the largest patch of rasp- 

 berries, say 500 or 1,000, and have a committee appointed to visit 

 any who offer such patches for premiums; also on vineyards, that 

 there be a good round premium offered for the best vineyard. 

 This would encourage the growiug of vineyards. The same might 

 be said of currants. The man that has the best 500 currant bushes, 



