HOT-BEDS. 309 



} T et too early to uncover the flower borders, or to turn over 

 the still damp and heavy soil. 



We may build our hot-beds, and in these bring forward 

 the seeds and plants, so as to be ready to avail ourselves of 

 the first days of settled weather, and to insure an early 

 display of floral treasure in the flower garden. 



It is out of our province, in this connection, to treat of 

 the hot-bed as a means of forcing early vegetables, or of 

 bringing forward seeds for the kitchen garden. Suffice it 

 to say, that by means of it, if Well managed, we may have 

 such spring vegetables as lettuce and radishes, from Feb- 

 ruary until they mature in the , open ground ; and that the 

 process of starting vegetable seeds is the same as that we 

 employ for flower seeds. 



"We propose but to treat of the flower garden and its 

 adornments, and it will be quite early enough for our flower 

 seeds if we start our hot-beds about the first of April. 



The making of a hot-bed which will keep the heat, and 

 not burn the plants, is by no means an easy task, and 

 often, in this branch of horticulture, the most experienced 

 gardeners fail ; the process seems very easy, but in this, as 

 in most gardening operations, success depends on a careful 

 attention to little details. 



