52 AMERICAN GARDENER. 



much more effectual than pales or a wall ; and, 

 in my opinion will last as long as the former, 

 unless the former be made wholly of Locust. 

 Stalks, rushes, reeds, straw, twigs, bows, any 

 thing of this kind, formed into a fence, or put up 

 as shelter, is preferable to any thing smooth and 

 solid. Grass will shoot earlier under a bush. 

 than under a wall, or even a house. A wall will 

 not save your ears from the sharp winds so 

 effectually as even a thin hedge. The American 

 farmer knows well the warmth that walls ot 

 Corn-Stalks afford. 



85. However, it is not to be presumed, that a 

 Hot-Bed Ground will be made by every farmer ; 

 and, therefore, before 1 proceed further with 

 my instructions about it, let me proceed upon 

 the supposition, that the aforementioned bed is 

 made in some o/ien place. In this case it will 

 be necessary to use some precautions as to 

 shelter. 



86. While the dung is working^ before it be 

 made into the bed, it must, in case of -very sharfi 

 frost, be covered, especially on the North and 

 North West sides. If it be not, it will freeze on 

 these sides, and, of course, it will not ferment. 

 However, this is no troublesome job ; you have 

 only to throw on a parcel of straw, or stalks ; 

 and take them off again, when the frost relaxes; 

 When the bed is made, this is what I did. I drove 

 some stakes down, four feet distant from the 

 bed, opposite the North Side and the West End. 

 I tacked a pole from stake to stake ; and then I 

 placed up along against this pole, three or four 

 rows of sheaves of tall Corn-Stalks. This shel- 

 tered the bed from the North West winds, au,d 



