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AGRICULTURE FOR COMMON SCHOOLS 



the hot-bed it should be gathered into a heap and started to 

 heating and stirred once or twice. It should be very finely 

 broken up. The manure should be very evenly spread over 

 the bottom and tramped solid. Over the manure are placed 

 six or eight inches of rich soil. This soil will usually have to 

 be prepared and stored in the autumn, as the ground is likely 



30. HOT-BEDS USED FOR STARTING EARLY PLANTS 

 By courtesy of the Indiana Experiment Station 



to be frozen or too wet in the spring. The framework should 

 be made and the digging out of the box ought also to be done 

 in the autumn. After the soil is put on, it should be moistened 

 and allowed to stand until warmed by the heating of the 

 manure. The weed seeds in the soil will soon germinate. 

 After they have been destroyed the seed for the garden plants 

 can be planted. A hot-bed will usually give off heat for five 



