90 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



best thing to put iu to keep the frost out, and if there is 

 danger of mice, it might be well to let the ground freeze a 

 little before putting the leaves in, and it would be a good 

 thing to put in a little corn and smaller seeds, that had been 

 sprinkled with poison while wet, so that the mice, should 

 they find their way in, would not flouri.sh. The bed is now 

 ready to close up with the sash and shutters, and when the 

 sash are all on, put in the last end piece. This work should 

 be done before winter, and the bed can be filled at any time. 



During the early winter there is little danger of getting in 

 too much heat ; we often use eighteen or twenty inches deep 

 and six or eight inches of loam on top. During December 

 and January the beds want to be filled within a few inches 

 of the top of the planks, as the plants grow very slowly and 

 the heat will settle considerably ; but as the days grow 

 longer, plants will grow much faster, and do not need so 

 much heat, and must be set a little farther from the glass. 



Lettuce is the one great crop that is grown under glass in 

 winter and early spring ; and to grow this to perfection, it 

 is very desirable — and it seems to be almost necessary — to 

 have a loose, sandy soil. My soil is too heavy, and I have 

 tried a great many things to put it in good condition for this 

 crop, but have never been able to get perfectly satisfactory 

 results. Heavy manuring and stirring the soil help con- 

 siderably. 



Turnip radishes will grow on almost any soil, but long 

 ones need a loose, mellow soil, and do not need so much 

 bottom heat as lettuce or turnip radishes. 



During March and April many of the sash are used for 

 starting plants. Cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce and early 

 celery should be sown by the first of March for the first 

 early crop ; some sow much earlier, and if the plants are 

 handled enough and given lots of room, it ma}^ be all right 

 to put them in early, but to reset two or three times and 

 have only one or two hundred to the sash when they are 

 ready to put out of doors makes nice plants, but they cost 

 high, as glass and labor should both bring money at this 

 season. 



It is possible to raise ftdrly good plants by sowing thinly, 

 we prefer iu drills, and giving the young plants plenty of 



