22 



MARKET GARDENING 



freshly gathered, or else should be manure that has not 

 been heated. Place the manure in a pile about six feet 

 wide and four feet deep and as long as may be necessary. 

 The manure should be prepared under cover of a shed for 

 best results. As the pile is constructed, the material should 

 be shaken out and well firmed with the back of the fork 

 or by lightly tramping. 



The pile should be examined often, and as soon as a 

 good heat is generated, it should be turned, taking care 



^3L Manure 



Manure 



FIG. 8. Cross-section of a Hot Bed. 



that the outside of the pile is placed in the centre of the 

 new pile. Examine the pile carefully and in two or three 

 days the fermentation will again have become well started 

 heating the manure thoroughly. The manure is then ready 

 to put into the pit. 



The manure is placed in the pit, a layer at a time, four 

 to six inches deep, and tramped well, especially in the 

 corners and along the sides. After the pit has been filled 

 to the required depth, two to six inches of good loam is 

 placed on the manure. When the hot beds are used for 

 the growing of plants in flats or pots, two inches of soil is 



