98 



VEGETABLE GARDENING 



for all the early radishes, onions, lettuce, cress and other 

 greens for the table in early spring, and for raising tomatoes, 

 cabbage, and other vegetable plants to be set out later in 

 the open ground. 



Shutters and mats are used for covering the sash of hot- 

 beds and cold frames at night to prevent too rapid radiation 

 of the heat. 



Fire Hotbeds. Horse manure will undoubtedly con- 

 tinue to be used for warming hotbeds, no matter how much 

 greenhouse construction or means of artificial heating may 





Fig. 



A fire hotbed. 



be cheapened, but there are some situations wnere it may 

 be more economical and convenient to use a forcing bed or 

 what is sometimes called a fire hotbed. This closely resem- 

 bles a hotbed in outward appearance, but instead of being 

 heated with manure a flue is used to take its place, and it is 

 warmed by the smoke of wood, coal, or other fuel. In this 

 case a pit should be excavated, furnished with permanent 

 walls and a good strong floor to support the soil in which 



