THE HOT BOX 



131 



winds, and is properly mixed and packed down into a compact, flat 

 pile, somewhat larger than the frame, which is placed upon the top 

 of it and the same material is drawn up around the outside of the 

 ends and sides of the frame. Inside the frame the soil is placed 

 just as described for the hot-bed with a pit. This raised, instead 

 of depressed, hot-bed is easier to make and it has other advantages 

 for this climate. It is not likely to have its pit flooded and the heat 

 choked off by rain water just at the time when its action is desired. 

 It is -also easier to prevent excessive heat because it allows better 

 opportunities for radiation. But even with this the plants have to 

 be very carefully watched and air freely given or they will become 

 leggy and weak from too great forcing-heat. These local conditions 

 have also given rise to other modifications of hot-bed arrangements 

 which are excellent for this climate. One is shown in an adjacent 

 engraving. By making the ends of the hot-bed with two pieces, the 

 upper hinged to the lower, it is possible to open the ends easily 

 either to avoid end-shade on the plants or to admit air and lower 

 the temperature as may be desirable. 



An Easily Made Hot-box 



A Horticultural Hot-box. Mr. Ira W. Adams, of Potter Val- 

 ley, who has already been mentioned as a grower of great ingenuity 

 and insight, has devised a sort of automatic arrangement which 

 changes from a hot-bed to a cold frame about the time the plants 

 are ready to go from forcing to hardening off. He gives this de- 

 scription of it : 



I take a dry goods box, three or four feet long, two feet wide and two 

 feet or more in depth. This is about as small as it should be ; a much larger 

 one can be used, if necessary. Into this I put fresh horse manure, and straw 

 that has been used for bedding, and tramp it down occasionally as solid as 



