14 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



THE HOT-BED. 



** Think'st thou to be concealed, thou little SEED 



That in the bosom of the earth art cast, 

 And there, like cradled infant, sleep'st awhile, 



Unmoved by trampling storm or thunder blast? 

 Thou bid'st thy time ; for herald Spring shall come 



And wake thee, all unwilling as thou art, 

 Unhood thine eyes, unfold thy clasping sheath, 



And stir the languid pulses of thy heart ; 

 The loving rains shall woo thee, and the dews 



Weep o'er thy bed, and e're thou art aware 

 Forth steals the tender leaf, the wiry stem, 



The trembling bud, the flower that scents the air, 

 And soon, to all, the ripened fruitage tells 



The evil or the good that in nature dwells." 



The hot-bed is necessary sometimes to force seeds and 

 plants early in the spring ; this plan is seldom resorted to 

 by the amateur, as it requires some experience in the man- 

 agement. It may not be the good fortune of lovers of 

 choice flowers to live in a city where market gardeners re- 

 side that are in the habit of making hot-beds annually ; it 

 will be necessary to give some directions on the subject. 

 To those living in a city more practical knowledge may be 

 gleaned by seeing one made than could be gained by pre- 

 cept. However, to those wishing to make a hot-bed it will 

 be necessary to provide a cart-load of fresh manure from a 

 stable ; nearly one half should be straw and hay, what ia 

 commonly called long litter by gardeners ; the whole should 

 be laid in a heap for about a week to ferment, and must be 

 protected from rain ; then turn it over, the next day the 



