AMERICAN GARDENER. 49 



seeds, perhaps in an inch ; for, some will not 

 grow, and some may be pulled up when they ap- 

 pear. It is better to have rather too many than 

 too few. When you have dropped in your 

 seeds all over the bed, and distinguished the 

 several sorts of Cabbages by names, or numbers, 

 written on a bit of paper, and put into the cleft 

 of a little stick, stuck in the ground ; then cover 

 all the seeds over neatly and smoothly. Put on 

 the lights ; and look upon your spring work as 

 happily begun. 



79. But now we come to the management of 

 a hot-bed. And, observe, that the main princi- 

 ple is, always to give as much air as the filants 

 iv ill endure. I have always observed, that the 

 great and prevalent error is an endeavour to ob 

 tain, by exclusion of air^ something to make up 

 for the want of bottom heat. It is not thus that 

 nature operates. She gives the air as well as the 

 heat ; and, without the former she gives nothing. 

 I suppose the hot-bed, made as above, to be 

 about fo u r feet high, when just finished. It will 

 sink as it heats ; and will, at last, come to about a 

 f oot and a half. Its heat will gradually diminish ; 

 but, it will give a great heat for about six weeks; 

 and some heat for four months. It is this bottom 

 heat that makes things grow. The sun is often 

 hot in May ; but, it is not till the earth is warm 

 that vegetation advances with rapidity. 



80. Having secured the bottom heat, make 

 free with the air. Even before the seeds begin 

 to appear, give air to the bed every day, unless 

 it be -very cold weather indeed. The usual way 

 of giving air is by bits of thick board, cut in the 

 shape of a triangle, or rather, like a wedge , broad 



