HOT BEDS 23 



sufficient to keep the air sweet, and to absorb the moisture 

 from the manure. When crops are to be grown in the soil 

 of the hot bed, the soil should be at least six inches deep. 



After the manure has been placed in the pit and covered 

 with loam, the hot bed thermometers should be thrust into 

 the manure, and the sash, shutters and mats should be placed 

 over the hot bed. As soon as the manure has again become 

 hot and the soil is warmed through, the bed is ready for the 

 introduction of plants in flats, or for the planting of crops 

 in the soil. 



33. Care of the Hot Bed. Careful attention to the 

 details of watering and ventilation are necessary for the suc- 

 cess in growing plants in hot beds. The water should be ap- 

 plied evenly and at a time when the temperature is rising. 

 Watch the beds at the sides and corners that they do not 

 dry out too rapidly. The hot beds are ventilated by raising 

 the sash, either at intervals along the bed, or all of them, as 

 the conditions may demand. Small blocks of wood are 

 handy for placing under the sash for ventilating. Avoid 

 drafts as much as possible at all times, particularly with 

 such crops as tomatoes, peppers or any other of the more 

 tender crops. 



In the early spring, when the weather is yet quite 

 severe at times, the hot beds must be banked with hot 

 manure at the time that the pit is filled with manure for 

 heating the bed. The manure should be banked to the full 

 height of the frames and tramped firmly. Anything that 

 will exclude the cold may be used for covering the frames 

 at night and during severe weather. Mats of various kinds 

 may be purchased, or straw mats may be made at home. 

 Old blankets are sometimes used, also wooden shutters. 

 The shutters are made the same size as the sash, 3x6 feet, 

 and of light lumber. 



