HOTBED, RIGHTS OF. 



258 HOTBED, MODE OF MAKING. 



three days the rank steam has passed off. 

 A few pots with soil are then put in the 

 frames. The next day the seed may be 

 sown in these, two in each pot ; in three 

 days the plants will be up. They need 

 not be re-potted or disturbed, but grown 

 as they are ; and, when the principal bed 

 is ready, turned out of the pots with a ball 

 of earth, and sunk in the new soil an inch 

 or so over the ball of earth. If the bed 

 now gives a moderate heat of 75 to 80, 

 and a sweet steam pervades the inside of 

 the frame, the plants will soon root into the 

 new soil, and grow very fast. Care must 

 be taken, however, that the humidity is 

 not too great, or that, in allowing some of 

 ; to escape, cold winds are not allowed to 

 enter ; an excellent preventive being to 

 stretch a piece of fine netting or gauze over 

 the opening. 



Why Manure is Turned, &>c. The 

 formation of a hotbed as described above 

 for cucumbers is precisely the same for 

 whatever purpose it may be desired. 

 Technically speaking, the heat engendered 

 in the dung when taken fresh from the 

 stable yard for the purpose of making 

 a hotbed is termed "sweating," and it is 

 to get rid of this too powerful heat that the 

 manure is frequently turned over and 

 watered before the bed is made. When 

 leaves are added, it is thought better to do 

 so at the last turning but one, when the 

 bed is said to be " sweet " that is to say, 

 free from any rank and disagreeable smell. 

 On the contrary, if a handful be drawn 

 from the interior of a hotbed in a proper 

 condition for covering with mould, the 

 smell that it gives forth is agreeable rather 

 than otherwise, and has been described as 

 being like the smell of mushrooms. . 



Hotbed, Lights of, Covering for. 



In covering the lights of a hotbed during 

 frosts or rough winds, it is advisable to 

 avoid letting the mats, or what not, hfin<j 



over the sides, as there is often danger of 

 conducting rank steam from the linings into 

 the frame. Straw hurdles which exactly 

 fit the lights are better than mats. The 

 covering should be used just sufficiently to 

 protect the plants from frost or cutting 

 winds, without keeping them dark and 

 close. 



Hotbed, Linings for Mainten 

 ance of Heat of. 



The heat of the manure is not lasting ; 

 consequently the bed will require watch- 

 ing. It is advisable to have a thermo- 

 meter in the frame, and as soon as the 

 heat gets below 70, a'pply a lining of fresh 

 dung, which has been prepared as before, 

 to the front and one side of the bed ; and 

 when this again declines, add another to 

 the back and the other side. The bed can 

 be kept at a growing heat for any length 

 of time by this means, removing, at first, 

 the old linings, and replacing them by 

 fresh ; but after a time, the roots will pene- 

 trate the linings, when they must not be 

 disturbed ; fresh dung must then be added 

 to them. 



Hotbed, Economical Mode of 

 Making. 



The directions given under the heading 

 Hotbed, How to Make, for the preparation 

 of the material and making the hotbed 

 apply to all such, whatever the size, 

 thickness, or purpose ; consequently it will 

 be unnecessary to repeat them ; but there 

 are other modes of making hotbeds. One 

 is sometimes adopted which is very effec- 

 tive, while it greatly economises the 

 manure. The trimmings and prunings of 

 trees are tied up into faggots, and with 

 these the walls of a pit are built, the exact 

 size of the frame : on this the frame rests. 

 The faggots are fixed by means of stakes 

 driven through them into the ground, the 

 walls being four feet high. After the 



