HORTICULTURE 251 



A frame six feet wide, twelve inches high on the north 

 side, and eight inches on the south side, and as long as 

 the bed is to be, is now made of plank. This is set on the 

 heated manure, thus leaving six inches on each side out- 

 side the frame. More manure is then banked all around 

 it, and three or four inches of fine light and rich soil are 

 placed inside the frame. 



The frame is now covered with hotbed sashes six feet 

 long and three feet wide. These slide up and down on strips 

 of wood let into the sides of the frame. A thermometer 



* 3ft.- - -f - - 3ft.- - -*- - -3 ft.- - 



" 



FIG. 220. FRAME TO CARRY THE SASH OF A HOTBED OR 

 COLD FRAME 



is stuck into the soil and closely watched, for there will be 

 too much heat at first for sowing seed. When the heat in 

 the early morning is about 85, seeds may be sowed. The 

 hotbed is used for starting tomato plants, egg plants, cab- 

 bage plants, and other vegetables that cannot stand expo- 

 sure. It should be made about eight or ten weeks before 

 the tender plants can be set out in the locality. In the 

 South and Southwest, it should be started earlier than in 

 the North. For growing the best tomato plants, and for 

 such hardy plants as lettuce and cabbage, it will be better 

 to have, in addition to the hotbed, cold frames, which need 

 not be more than two or three sashes in the home garden. 



