The Hotbed and Cold-Frame 119 



heat there is danger of keeping the hotbed too hot, 

 and thus making the young plants tender. In the 

 case of artificial heat, a thermometer always should 

 be kept in the hotbed, and when the air is too 

 warm, the heat should be turned off, or if the day 

 is pleasant, the air may be cooled by ventilating. 



Don't forget the hotbed on a cool night. If you 

 do, you are likely to lose your crop, and it takes 

 time to start another. If the night is unusually 

 cold after having had some rather mild weather, 

 cover the hotbed with a heavy canvas, with boards, 

 or with a layer of straw or manure. An old 

 blanket will serve as well as anything else, and if 

 nothing else is convenient, a layer of earth will 

 answer, though there is more labor attached to 

 applying this covering. There can be purchased 

 at any large seed house a mat of straw or burlap 

 for protecting the hotbed. When the hotbed is 

 artificially heated do not make the mistake of 

 turning on too much heat at night instead of using 

 covering. If the plants are kept unusually warm 

 for a few hours, they will need another hardening 

 before they are again exposed. 



A cold-frame differs from a hotbed in that it is 

 not supplied with heat. The cold-frame, as well 

 as the hotbed, should be carefully located, and all 

 protection possible given it from cold winds. In 



