March, 1916. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Starting Seeds in the Hot Bed 



63 



I 



ONE of the greatest difficulties or 

 rather drawbacks that the 

 Canadian gardener has to con- 

 tend witli is the shortness of the out- 

 door gardening season. Severe frosts 

 in late spring and early fall make the 

 actual growing season a brief one at 

 the most, but by making use of a hot- 

 bed one can have vegetables and flow- 

 ers anywhere from two weeks to two 

 months ahead of those who wait until 

 the ground is warm enough before 

 planting the seed. Moreover, a hot-bed 

 furnishes an outlet for one's pent-up 

 energies niter a winter of more or less 

 inactivity. Kipling says : 

 "The cure for this ill is not to sit still, 

 And frowst with a book by the fire, 

 But to take a large hoe, and a shovel, 

 also. 

 And dig till you gently perspire." 

 Hotbeds may be either above or be- 

 low ground, but for early growing, and 

 more especially for a climate like that 

 of Canada, we prefer those below 

 ground. A pit about four feet deep, 

 with concrete sides and bottom, and 

 provided with bottom drains and pro- 

 visions for sash constitutes an ideal 

 place for a hot-bed. The length, of 

 course, depends on the quantity of pro- 

 duce to be raised. Regulation sash are 

 six feet by three feet. 



If you have not a structure of this 

 kind the cold frame can be made into 

 a pit by digging out the soil to a depth 

 of two feet or more. By making up a 

 layer of manure a foot or more larger 

 than the area of che frame to be used 

 and eighteen inches deep, one can have 

 a very satisfactory hx)t-bed above 

 ground which will generate enough 

 heat to resist any cold spell that is 

 generally experienced in March. 



Material for making up the hot-bed 

 is generally easy to get. Dry leaves 

 and horse s<able manure in equal parts 

 is all that is needed. By adding the 

 leaves the heat is not so intense, and 

 lasts much longer. The material 

 should be turned every three or four 

 days to prevent too rapid fermentation, 

 and to thoroughly mix. After several 

 turnings and the excess of ammonia has 

 escaped, it is ready to put in the frame. 

 For a frame or pit fifteen by six feet 

 use three cne-horse loads of this ma- 

 terial to make the bed two feet thick. 

 Tramp it Avell down so as to keep in the 

 heat for the longest possible time. 

 Usually after placing the manure in the 

 frames it will become quite hot, and a 

 thermometer should be put in to indi- 

 cate the degree of heat. Not infre- 

 quently a temperature of over one hun- 

 dred degrees will be registered, but not 

 till this has settled to ninety or less. 



Henry Gibson 



and gives indications of remaining at 

 a steadily agreeable point should the 

 soil be put on. The soil should be of 

 a light sandy nature, made up of two 

 parts good garden soil, one part leaf- 

 mold with enough sand to make it por- 

 ous. A layer five or six inches thick 

 is enough for the raising of either seeds 

 or rooting cuttings. 



Lettuce is one ot the most looked for 

 early vegetables from the garden, and 

 by sowing seed in such a hot-bed as we 

 have described, transplanting the seed- 

 lings when large enough to handle into 

 a cold frame, heads may be had ready 

 for cutting by the latter part of May. 



In order to make the most of the 

 space radish may be sown between the 

 rows of lettuce. It will be used before 

 the lettuce becomes too large to need 

 the room. 



Carrots lespond readily to hot Ijed 

 culture, and if sov.'n thinly in drills six 

 inches apart and no thinning done un- 

 til they are fit to use, quite a s irp'?' 

 can be had from very few rows. E.irJy 

 Short Horn and Paris Forcing .'ire llie 

 best that we have tried. Beet tops a''e 

 a good substitute for spinach in cprly 

 spring, and by sowing seed early in 

 March one may expect to have the tops 

 fit for use in six weeks. Sow as sug- 

 gested for carrots, and if the tops are 

 not used ycu will nave young beets for 

 the table in May, several weeks before 

 you could have them from the open 

 ground. Onion sets may be planted for 

 an early supply of salads, or seed may 



be sown a) id the yeedlings used as soon 

 as they are large enough. 



Vegetables can be started for trans- 

 planting to the open garden as soon as 

 weather conditions permit. Among 

 these the chief are cabbage, cauliflower, 

 onions, leeks, tomatoes, egg-plant, pep- 

 pers and celery. Tomatoes, egg-plant 

 and peppers are :nore tender than the 

 others named, and should be carefully 

 protected from cold di-afts, and hard- 

 ened well to outside conditions before 

 being set out in the open. In fact, all 

 seedlings raised in a hot-bed or green- 

 house require to be well hardened off 

 before planting out, but the three men- 

 tioned are more tender than the others 

 and more care should be taken with 

 them. 



Asters, stocks, antirrhinums, petun- 

 ias, verbenas, and almost every con- 

 ceivable form of garden flowers that 

 grow from seed can be successfully 

 raised in ihe hot bed. Those wanted 

 for later use can be as well sown out- 

 doors when the soil is warm enough, 

 but for early cutting sow in the hot- 

 bed and transplant to a cold frame to 

 harden off before planting to the open 

 ground. 



There maj be among beginners a lit- 

 tle confusion as i"o what is the differ- 

 ence between the terms "cold frames" 

 and "hoi-beds." Cold frames are 

 w^armed by the sun only, and are cap- 

 able of resisting but little frost. They 

 are used chiefly for gradually harden- 

 ing the nlants to outside conditions. 



A commodious lawn with a well arranged perennial border to enhance its attractiveness. 



