HOT 



len or tweK'e inches in depth. If for the Imme- 

 diate reception of plants, to remain, or for 

 striking cuttings of any sort in, &c, from six to 

 eight, ten, or more inches of mould will be ne- 

 cessary; regulating the whole in some proportion 

 to the nature or growth of the plants, and the 

 substance of the beds. Thus, cucumbers and 

 melons, which are not only extensive growers, 

 but produce large fruit that requires much nnu- 

 rishnient, need" a greater depth of mould than 

 small sallad-herbs, &c. 



In earthing the beds, every part of the dung 

 within the frame should be carefully covered 

 over, especially after the plants are come up, or 

 any planted, that no steam may rise immediate- 

 ly from the dung upon them. 



In regard to~ sowing or planting seeds or 

 plants in Hot-beds of strong substance, under 

 frames, care should be taken not to do it till the 

 danger of burning is over, unless performed in 

 pots, that may be nrovcd up as occasion requires; 

 .'•nd at any rate it is always better to wait a day 

 or tv.o, than to endanger burning the plants; 

 time should not however be lost when the bed is 

 ready, as it is necessary always to have a lively 

 li«at at first, to promote a quick germination in 

 tlie seeds, or to strike and set the plants forward 

 so as to assume a free growth at first. 



In the management of Hot-beds after being 

 sown or planted, it must often be different, ac- 

 cording as the different plants may require. In 

 oeucral, however, after the seeds or plants have 

 been put in, the glasses are to be continued con- 

 stantly on until the middle of summer, when the 

 weather is become settled and warm, particular- 

 ly for all the tender kinds of plants ; fresh air 

 being admitted daily, at all opportunities, in 

 mild weather, by raising the upper ends of the 

 lights ; or, if hand-glasses, by propping up one 

 Bide, from about half an inch to two or three 

 inches high, according to the heat and steam in 

 tiie bed, and temperature of the outward air, 

 ^hutling all close in due time towards evening, 

 and keeping them close every night during the 

 cold weather, covering the glasses every night 

 with mats until .Tunc, especially for the more 

 lender sorts of plants. 



When the heat of the beds naturally declines 

 or beeoiiies of a weakly temperature, it must be 

 renewed by adding fresh hot dune;; around the 

 side*!, which is called lining the bed, and is par- 

 ticularly necessary for all dung hot-beds, made 

 any lime in winter or spring. See Lining. 



.Sometimes a repetition of new linings is re- 

 quired three or four times, especially for those 

 made in winter, to continue iheni in a uniform 

 lieat ; tlicsc linings should be made of the hot- 

 .tc?tdung,andbeapplitd quite from the bottom to 



HOT 



the top of the bed, and aboiit fifteen or eighteen 

 inches wide at bottom, drawing them into about a 

 footwideat top, raisingthem four orfiveinches up 

 the frame, to allow for settling, bat not more ;. 

 for the, top of the linings, when settled, should 

 be but very little above the bottom of the frame, 

 lest their heat burn the earth adjoining to the 

 frame within: and to prevent steam from rising 

 too copiously from the linings, a stratum of 

 earth should be laid on the top, two inches 

 thick, continuing it close up to the bottom of the 

 frame, that no steam may rise that way ; for 

 the rank steam immediately from dung, without 

 first passing through a body of earth, is destruc- 

 tive to most plants. As the lining settles dowu 

 lower than the top of the bed, more fresh dung 

 should be added. 



Bark Hut-hcds. — These are Hot-beds formed, 

 of bark or tan, after having been used in taur- 

 vats or -pits, which produces a regular, mode- 

 rate, and durable heat. See Bark.. 



Hot-beds of this kind always require to be 

 made in proper bark-pits formed for the purpose 

 of brick-work, or post and planking, to confine 

 the tan in its proper situation. See Bark-pit. 



Where there are proper conveniencies of pits,. 

 in which to make the hot-beds furnished with 

 frames and glasses suitable, they are superior in 

 many cases to dung Hot-beds, both in raising; 

 many early esculeat productions, and various 

 curious flowers to early bloom, as well as in the 

 propagation and raising many sorts of tender 

 exotics, from seeds, layers, cuttings, &c. In 

 bark Hot-beds early strawberries and melons 

 may be raised, which, by the regular, moderate, 

 and durable heat which they produce, are gene- 

 rally obtained in great perfection at an early sea- 

 son ; likewise, small early crops of dwarf-peas 

 and kidney-beans, &c. and of flowering plants, 

 many sorts may be forced in great perfection of 

 early bloom, both of the bulbous, tuberous, and 

 fibrous-rooted kinds, such as hyacinths, dwarf 

 tulip, jonquils, narcissuses, anemones, ranun- 

 culuses, pinks, and many other moderate-grow- 

 ing kinds ; also roses, and some other small or- 

 namental flowering shrubs. 



Bark Hot-beds are also of great utility in- 

 hot-houses, stoves, and forcing-houses, as the- 

 principal and most proper and effectual kind of 

 beds for these different departments. See Bark- 

 beds. 



Forced Crops. — The sorts of crops usually raised 

 in these hot-beds are encumbers, melons, aspara- 

 gus, strawberries, Ifidney-beans, peas, dwarf- 

 beans, radishes, small-sallad herbs, and lettuces. 

 And various sorts of seed plants are raised and 

 preserved in this wav, such as caulitlo'.vers, 

 early cabbages, red cabbages, early celery, plauts. 



