210 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENS 



Banking. When the weather is cold, bank the frames 

 around the outside with a foot of manure, leaves, or 

 straw. Cover this banking with three or four inches of 

 soil, which serves to keep the litter in place and forms 

 a crust for further defense. 



Care of a hotbed. At the North, in addition to the 

 glazed sash, mats of burlap or carpet will be needed on 

 cold nights. During bright days, even when the tem- 

 perature outside is near the freezing point, it will be 

 necessary to lift the sash a little at the high side of the 

 frame, to allow the hot air to escape and prevent injury 

 to the young plants. 



Watering. Hotbeds should be watered in the morn- 

 ing, and then only on bright days. Watering at night 

 causes a loss of the accumulated heat. The water itself 

 lowers the temperature, so that on cold nights the dan- 

 ger from frost is greatly increased. The excessive mois- 

 ture resulting from watering the leaves and confining 

 them during the night also conduces to the development 

 of mildew and the damping-off fungus. 



Pits. Pits are excavations from two to four feet deep, 

 with sides protected by plank or brick walls, upon which 

 a cold frame is placed and covered with sash. They are 

 valuable for storing vegetables, and hardy flowering 

 plants in tubs or urns used about the lawn during the 

 summer. The sides of the frame should be banked with 

 manure covered with three or four inches of soil. Dur- 

 ing severe weather the pit should be covered with mats 

 or carpet held down by boards. 



