56 The Principles of Vegetable -Gardening 



or have become too thick, they may be transplanted into 

 cooler hotbeds or into coldfrarnes. There are some 

 crops, however, which may be carried to full maturity 

 in the hotbed itself, as radishes and lettuce. The date 

 at which the hotbed may be started with safety depends 

 almost entirely upon the means at command of heat- 

 ing it and upon the skill of the operator. In the 

 northern states, where outdoor gardening does not 

 begin until the first or the last of May, hotbeds are 

 sometimes started as early as January ; but they are 

 ordinarily delayed until early in March. 



Heating with horse manure. The heat for hotbeds 

 is commonly supplied by the fermentation of horse 

 manure. It is important that the manure be uniform 

 in composition and texture, that it come from highly- 

 fed horses, and is practically of the same age. The 

 best results are generally obtained from manure from 

 livery stables, since it can be secured in large quanti- 

 ties in a short space of time. As much as one- third 

 or one -half of the whole material may be of litter 

 or straw which has been used in the bedding. If the 

 manure is very dense, it will not heat well, and it 

 should have bedding, litter or well decayed leaves 

 mixed with it. 



The manure is piled in a long and shallow square- 

 topped pile, not more than four or five feet high as a 

 rule, and is then allowed to ferment. Better results 

 are generally attained if the manure is piled under 

 cover. The manure should be moist, but not wet. If 

 it is dry when piled, moisten it throughout. If it is 

 very wet, it will usually remain cold until it begins 



