bec. so.] garden culinary vegetables. 497 



sawdust, fresh leaves, tan-bark, or straw, the lieat would bo iiioru mild and 

 durable, and less liable to scald the )><)tatocs. 



"About the iirst or second week of April, in tliis latitude, haul tho 

 materials for the bed, and mix them together in a ridge wiiero tlio In-d u to 

 be made, and as soon as it is hot, shake it thoroughly, mixing the cold and 

 hot, wet and dry portions together, forming a bed on the toj) of the ground, 

 running cast and west, which, when settled witli the fork — not trampled — 

 should be fourteen inches high, more or less, as tliere is n greater or less pro- 

 portion of manure used, and six inches wider ou all sides than the frame to 

 be placed over it. 



"Ilot-bed frames should bo made of two-inch oak plank, framed togetlur 

 at the ends with keys, so as to be easily taken apart and btored when not in u-c. 

 They sliould not be over twenty feet in length, nor exceed four in width. Tho 

 front, or south side, should be eight inches high; tho north, from eight to 

 twent}-, according to the slope of the gmund on which the bed stands, as tho 

 top of the frame should have a pitch of eight to twelve inches to receive t!i 

 heat of the sun, and to shed off the rain freely. Temporary beds are maiic 

 by setting slabs or plank on edge, and filling in the manure; but such 

 beds are ditHctilt to cover, and if used, the potatoes should not bo laid withiu 

 six inches of the sides. [Sec 598.] 



'• Cover the boda five inches deep with tho mellow earth, on which set !!■• 

 frames and proceed to lay the potatoes two inches apart, with tho t<ip end 

 of tiio potato toward the planks, and inurethem to the open air. (Jlass- 

 covered hot-beds cause tho plants to spring up tender and weak, and such 

 plants do not grow, when set out in the hill, like those raised in oj.en licd*. 



"The best covers arc made of strong oiled muslin, tacked on lath, so that 

 they can be rolled up conveniently. These covers will admit the light, shed 

 ofi" the rain, and bo cheaper in the end than other covering, and sufKciently 

 warm except in extremely cold weather, wlien straw or some warm covering 

 should be thrown over them. Trampled straw, or maU made of ryo Btruw, 

 answer in the absence of better covering. 



"The beds sliould be watered in the evening with a •uitablo watcring-jwj, 

 to keep the earth in a good growing condition. If spring or well water ii 

 used, it should stand in the sun or be warmed before using. AlU-r the plauu 

 are up, they should, if the weather i^ warm, be kept tolerably moi»f, to en- 

 courage the growth of good strung ro .ts, and light, wann showcn* w..uld Ih» 

 better than watering, but cold and heavy rains must be guarded a^'iun-t, a* 

 they would 6o;ik into the beds and ruin them. 



"Ditches should be formed around the beds, and tho earth thrown up to 

 keep the water from running under and chilling them. 



•• When the plants arc three inches high, and well rooted, they aro n-ad/ 

 to pull which is performe.1 bv taking h..ld of tho plant* with the thumb 

 and forefinger of one hami, while the potato is held tirmly m it- place w.th 

 the other. Careless drawing, by inexperienced iH..r.onN IrciucnUy d«ln.y» 

 half tho prcfita of their bods. 



