^5S. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



161 



FO DICING VEGETATION— HOT-BED, 



We have compiied the above isode fyf manage- 

 ment from ScuENic's Garbkner's Text-Book, pub- 

 lished by J. P. Jewett & Co., 17 Cornhill, Boston, 

 which may be referred to for more particulars on 

 the subject. Those unacquainted with the meth- 

 ods of forcing in hot-beds, will, of course, proceed 

 carefully, step by step, by making such inquiries 

 as will assist them in the work. 



Forcin;; is the art of accelerating the growth of 

 plants, by the warmth afforded by certain ferment- 

 ing substances, so as to obtain vegetables at unu- 

 sual seasons of the year. The practice appears to 

 be as old as the time of the Romans. We consider 

 its chief value to be in raising young plants for 

 removal to the opeu ground in spring. 



In American gardens, forcing under glass is 

 generally conduotei in frames and pits. There are 

 several substances employed in obtaining tliis ar- 

 tificial heat, such as tanner's bark, leaves and 

 grass, but the fresh dung of well-fed~ animals is 

 generally preferred. 



The first object is to get rid of the violent heat 

 and rank vapor produced when fermentation is 

 most ^powerful. For this purpose, a certain de- 

 gree of moisture and air is necessary; and, there- 

 fore, it will be the gardener's business to place the 

 dung in a conical-shaped heap near the place where 

 wanted for use ; to turn it over about once a week, 

 shaking it well together, so that all parts may be 

 equally exposed to the atmosphere ; and to apply 

 water when the materials appear at all dry. In 

 cold, wet or boisterous weather, the heap ought to 

 be covered to a moderate depth, with coarse sta- 

 ble litter. 



There is considerable difference of opinion, with 

 regard to the time that stable dung shall be per- 

 mitted to lie thus in the heap. Care must be ta- 

 ken that the process is not carried too far, as in 

 that case there will not be suificient heat left for 



the bed, and the plants will be rendered small and 

 sickly. Perhaps it is a good rule, to wait until 

 the greater part of the straw assumes a dark brown 

 color. 



The hot-bed should be in a place free from the 

 shade of trees or buildings, and having an aspect 

 rather a point eastward of the south. Shelter on 

 the north- vrest is particularly necessary. The next 

 labor will be to mark out the dimensions of the 

 bed, which, on all sides, ought to be at least ten 

 inches larger than the frame, and a stake should 

 be driven down at each corner as a guide for keep- 

 ing the edges perfectly straight. 



The general rules of management are: — to keep 

 the sashes covered with boards, mats or straw, 

 during cold nights and severe storms ; to admit air 

 freely in pleasant weather, by sliding down tffe 

 sashes for an inch or two, or by raising them up 

 with wedges at the back part of the frame ; and 

 occasionally to apply water in moderate quantities, 

 after it has been kept in the frame for at least 

 twelve hours. 



The air within the frame should be frequently 

 renewed, or the jdants will become spindling, with 

 a sickly, yellowish colur. 



Ass )onas the heat is found to decline, "linings," 

 as they are called, should be applied. The litter 

 having been first removed, the edges of the bed 

 are to be cut down by a spade close to the frame. 

 It may, perhaps, be best to take only one side at 

 a time, by which means the heat will be rendered 

 more regular and permanent. Several holes are 

 to be opened in the manure by the crowbar or a 

 large stake, and a bank, or "lining," of fresh dung, 

 is to take the place of that which has just been 

 removed. The width of this "lining" will vary 

 from ten to twenty inches, according to the cold- 

 ness of the season ; and it should not be carried up 

 much higlier than the bed, lest the violent heat 

 escape directly into the mould, and thereby injure 

 the roots of the plants. To prevent the heat being 

 wasted in the air, it will be necessary to cover the 



