INSECTS AND PREVENTIVES 



the two-inch pipes to be set inside. Collars are 

 then used to put over the adjoining ends of other 

 lengths of pipe to extend the sterilizing bed. 

 Three lengths of ten-foot pipe, or thirty feet, is 

 sufficient length before another header or cross- 

 piece for steam connection is placed. 



Then continue the same as before till you have 

 altogether sixty running feet of bed with three 

 steam connections, one at each end, and one in the 

 middle. 



The soil from each side of the bed is then shov- 

 elled onto these pipes to a depth of from twelve 

 to fifteen inches, twelve-inch boards having been 

 previously staked up to hold the dirt in. Then 

 turn on the steam, and let it stay on until all of 

 the soil has attained a temperature of 200 degrees. 

 Then shut it off, but leave the soil undisturbed for 

 some time, say three or four hours. You will find 

 that it becomes very soft and can be very easily 

 worked. 



It is well to have extra pipes and headers so that 

 while the first section is being sterilized you can 

 be laying another section of sixty feet and have 

 it already for the steam, and so on. 



Since I took up this method a few years ago 

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