50 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Before proceeding to erect the hotbed, measure off the area which 

 a intended to be occupied ; this should be thirteen feet long by 

 Beven feet wide. These dimensions are greater than are usually 

 recommended, but as our object is to show " how to make the most 

 of it," the reasons for exceeding the ordinary size will be explained 

 hereafter. The ground on which the bed is to be erected should be 

 perfectly dry, and so situated, or of such a nature, as that water 

 cannot remain on it. If, however, the situation must necessarily be 

 wet, the base should be elevated six or eight inches, by wheeling soil 

 or rubbish to the part. The operation of erecting the bed is begun 

 by driving down four stakes, one at each corner of the parallelogram, 

 which we have indicated above ; these should stand about three feet 

 out of the ground, and will give the boundaries of the bed. Let 

 the foundation be laid with faggots or any rough materials, and upon 

 these lay the longest and rankest of the dung ; then begin to throw 

 up the mass of dung which has been prepared, not in large quantities 

 at a time, but by shaking it out lightly with a fork, distributing the 

 long and short equally over the bed, and then beating it down with 

 the fork only; but it must on no account be trodden down. If 

 during the building of the bed the dung should be discovered to 

 have had too much heat in the cone, and to have assumed a whitened 

 and mouldy appearance, it should be freely watered with tepid water, 

 by means of a watering-pot with a rose to it. The height to which 

 the bed is to be raised is three feet six inches in the front and four 

 feet at the back, and as soon as it has acquired the requisite height, 

 it should be combed all round with the fork, for the purpose of 

 removing all loose Btraws, and rendering it more finished in its 

 appearance. It is now ready to receive the frame, which should be 

 lifted to its place, and where it should remain for four or five days, 

 during which period the centre of the bed should be frequently 

 forked over ; but it must again be removed, to ascertain any 

 unevenness that may have taken place from the fermenting mass 

 having subsided, and on this occasion also, the sides of the bed 

 should be raised from six to eight inches higher than the middle, to 

 allow for the weight of the frame bearing it down. In about a week 

 the surface of the bed should be covered, about six inches deep, with 

 tan in a rather dry state, when such can be obtained, as this will be 

 found of advantage in keeping down and regulating the rank heat 

 which is likely to rise ; if, however, the tan cannot readily be 

 obtained, it is not indispensably requisite. The whole surface of the 

 bed must now be covered, three inches deep, with fine soil, composed 

 of one-half sandy loam and the other half leaf-mould ; or, if that 

 cannot be procured, sandy peat will answer as well. Under each 

 light there should be a mound or hillock, from eight to ten inches 

 high, and about a foot wide, on which to "ridge out" the cucumber 

 or melon plants. The hotbed is now ready for any purpose to which 

 the operator may think proper to apply it. 



Having therefore given ample instructions as to the most improved 

 methods of raising a hotbed, we shall next consider how it can be 

 best employed, and how the greatest amount of benefit may be 

 derived from it. The most general of all purposes to which it is 



