26 



QUERIES AXD ANSWERS. 



four sash, as in the illustration. It may be made permanent of brick or 

 stone, or temporary of 

 plank or one-inch com- 

 mon boards, the back 

 board about twenty 

 inches high, one-half 

 greater elevation than 

 the front, which should 

 be twelve to fourteen 

 inches — the whole 

 made to support a sash 

 or several of any dimensions, the best of about three by seven feet. The 

 back being higher than the front, gives a declivity to the sash, thus cast- 

 ing off the rain, which it would not do if flat. 



The box at proper season is placed upon a bed of fermenting material, 

 which, making a gentle and continuous heat, warms up a layer of soil 

 resting upon it, and thus germinates seed and forces plants into rapid 

 growth. 



Manure. The value of the bed depends principally upon the character of the 



fermenting material. This should be rich stable manure (no cow dung) 

 forked over two or three times at intervals of a week and kept in a deep 

 and compact pile till it begins to smoke or steam, indicating that the 

 process of fermentation has set in. If the dung be very rich in grain an 

 addition of forest leaves is desirable, as they serve to prolong the period 

 of fermentation, which otherwise might be too rapid. 



liocation and Selecting a well-drained location, and one never flooded by rain, exca- 



Alaking. 



Care of 

 Uotbeds. 



vate a pit one or two feet deep, and one foot longer and one foot broader 

 than the box. Into this place six inches of rough barnyard manure, corn 

 stalks, leaves or straw, for drainage, and on it lightly fork in the ferment- 

 ing dung and tramp it firmly down to a depth of two feet. Place on the 

 box and fit the sash lightly, cover with mats and allow fermentation to 

 again proceed, banking up with hot manure on the outside all around at 

 an angle of 45°. Place on top of the manure a layer of three inches of 

 rich, moist, finely pulverized soil. In a day or so the temperature will 

 rise to 120°. When the temperature has fallen to 90° destroy all the 

 weeds which have sprouted ; and sow the seed for which the bed is in- 

 tended. Cover every night with mats to exclude frost and give air during 

 the day, never allowing the temperature to fall below 70° or rise above 

 90°. The secret of growing good plants is to give plenty of air, else the 

 plants will be sickly, spindly specimens. Short, stocky plants are what 

 are desired. Sow the seed in rows three inches apart and one-quarter to 

 one-third inch deep, and cover by sifting on fine earth. 



Water every evening. Remove the mats every morning about nine 

 o'clock, give air about ten o'clock. Cut off the air in the afternoon as 

 soon as the air becomes the least chilly. Cover with mats before sunset. 

 Hotbeds should be covered early in the evening, to retain their heat, and 



