66 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



'■V — ' — 

 Mar. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



LiTTLR can be done in tho kitcli?n garden this month, 

 at least in this section of conntry, nnle?s it be the 

 preparation and care of hot-beds. For the manner 

 of constructing- tliem, we should have referred tiiose 

 who iiave inquired to previous volumes of the Farm- 

 er : but as we now have on our list nearly twice as 

 many subscribers as ot any previous time, many have 

 not the volumes to wiiich we refer ; we therefore re- 

 publish the information desired : 



r",very one shoulil have a hot bed, if it were only to for- 

 wnril plants for the pardon. The too prevaleni opinion is, 

 that ihcy nre oxponsive nrtifles and dilVicult to munago. re- 

 qiiiriiiij llio skill of tlie professed gardener. liotli c'lpposi- 

 tions are tniirely erroneous. A lud-bec] may be conslr')cted 

 by any mm ofordintiry iiigeiniity. A frame of about 12 iV>et 

 long an\ wide, wliieli will nilow of 3 sashes, eaeh 3 fee, 

 wide will he iound large enough for any family. It should 

 be made of common two inch plant; — the back about 3 feet 

 high, the front about half that, tlie ends having o regular 

 slope from back to front. This will give an angle sufficient 

 to throw oft' rain, and give the full benefit of external heat 

 and light to the plants within. If the beds nre narrower, 

 the front must be higher in proportion. The sides and ends 

 are simply n:'.iled to a strona post, four inches square or more, 

 piae^nl in each rorner. I'or the sashes to rest ami slide 

 wpon, a strip (3 inches wide is placed across the frame, the 

 ends morliced or sunk in the sides of the frame, so as not to 

 ciiuse a projection. The sashes are made in the ordinary 

 way, but without cross bars ; and in glazing, the lights are 

 made to overlap an eighth or quarter of an inch, to exclude 

 llie rain. Such a frame, costing but a mere trille beyonJ 

 the labor, will last for years, and furnish all the cabbage, 

 tomato, celery, caulillower, egg. pepper, melon, and cucum- 

 ber plants needed — with a sprinkling of early radishes, &,c. 

 Where so large a frame may not be wanted, an old window 

 may be used for sash, and all expense of glazing be avoided. 

 The annexed figure will convey an idea to those unac-iunin- 

 ted with it. One of the sashes is moved upward as in 

 admitting air. 



Hot beds should occupy n dry situation, where they will 

 not bo affected l)y the lodgement of water during rains or 

 thaw.s. They should he expijsed to the east and south, and 

 be protected by fences or buildings from the north and 

 northwest. 



Where it is intended to merely grow plants for tran.?plant- 

 ing to the cnrden they nmy be .ounk in the ground to the 

 de[>tli of 18 inches, and in such c^ase recjuin! not more than 

 2 feel of manure ; hut when forcing nnd perfecting vegeta- 

 blen is <lesigncd, a permanent heat must be k(>pt up, and ihc 

 l)ed must be made on the surface, so that fresh and warm 

 tmnurn may be adde<l when necessary. A depth of three 

 to four feet of manure will in such crises be wanted. Ma- 

 nure for hot beds require some preparation. It should he 

 fresh stable manure, placed in a heap, and turned and mixed 

 several times, promoting a regular fermentation. It is thus 

 made to retain its heat a long time ; otherwise it would 

 burn and dry up, and become useless. 



The mold should be laid on as soon ns the bed is settled, 

 nnd has a lively repiilar-lompere<l heat. Lay the earth 

 evenly over the dung about six inches deep. Radishes and 

 leiiiiee require alwut a f>ot of earth. .After it his lain a few 

 days it will be fit to receive your phnts. unless tho mold 

 has turned to n whitish col.ir or has a rank sinelK in which 

 case atld some fresh molrl for the hills at the same time 

 vacaneies stiould be made to give vent to the steam, by run- 

 ning down stakes. 



The following is described as the German method, 

 and we intend to try it : 



Take a white cotton cloth of a close texture, stretcli and 

 nail it on frames of any size you wish ; take 2 oz. of linsR«d 

 oil, 1 oz. white of eggs, 2 oz. of yolk of eggs, mix the lime 

 and oil with very gentle heat. !>eat tho rgfis well separately, 

 and mix with the former — spread this mixture with a paint 

 brush over the cotton, allowing each coat to dry before 

 applying another; until they become water proof. The 

 foliou iiig arc the advantages these siiades {ws.sess over the 

 glass ones ' 



1st. The cost being hardly one-fourth. 



2il. Repairs are easily and chea|)ly made. 



3d. The light. They do not rerjuire watering ; no mat- 

 ter how intense the heal of the sun, iho plants are never 

 struck down or burnt, faded or checked in growth, neither 

 do they <;row up hmg, sick, and weakly, as they do under 

 glass ; nnd .still there is abundance of light. 



4111. The heat arising entirely Trom below, is more equa- 

 ble and temperate whieh is a great object. The vapor rising 

 ir>m the m.iiiure and earih is condensed by the cool airpa.ss- 

 ing vcr the surface of the shade, and lianas in drops upon 

 the niside and iberefore iho plants do not recpiire ns frequent 

 watering. If the frames or slretcher.s are made large, they 

 should be intersected with cross-liars about a foot square to 

 support the cloth. These articles are just the tlinig for 

 bringing forward flower seeds in season for transplanting. 



Lettuce should be .sown as early as the ground can 

 be prepared. Early peas should be sown as soon as 

 possible. Now is the time to select seeds, prepare 

 bean-poles, pea-sticks, &i.c., and when needed they 

 will be in readiness. 



SALT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. 



Mr. SoLO?f Robinson, of the American Agriculturist, 

 calls in question the propriety of salting cattle and 

 sheep in summer or winter, as is practiced by most 

 persons who keep these animals. He has seen sheep 

 do well on the western prairies without salt, and 

 thinks it could be dispensed with without detriment. 

 Unquestionably all domestic aniti^als can subsist on 

 their appropriate aliment without salt, just as men 

 can live on lean meat, or bread, or beans and peas, 

 alone ; but that fact by no means proves that a little 

 salt in the food of man and briUe, is not really bene- 

 ficial. All physiologists agree that both chlorine and 

 soda are found in the digested food and blood of ani- 

 mals ; and that chlorine aTds much in the procer-s of 

 dige.stion, and soda in the purification of venous 

 blood. Now, salt is a compound of these two ele- 

 ment.*, viz., chlorine and soda or sodium. It is true 

 that lions subsist on fresh meat without salt, and 

 many savages do likewise ; so too, lions and savages 

 live without clothes or houses, but is that fact suffi- 

 cient to overthrow the necessity of wearing apparel 

 and artificial shelter ? Many things are jx)ssible in 

 vegetable and animal life, which are by no means de- 

 sirable or profitable. A small quantity of pure salt, 

 taken daily into the system of man, or those of his 

 cattle, sheep and horses, will promote digestion, and 

 aid in purifying the blood. I3uffalo, deer and wild 

 cattle got saline water or clay when they can — in- 

 stinct teaching them lis use and value, as it does the 

 value of grass. 



Staggers in cattlk is cau.'sed by a change from 

 poverty to rich feeding. It is most common in cattle 

 turned into luxuriant pasturage in the spring, or early 

 in summer ; and those that have been kept poorly 

 during the winter are most liable to this disease. 



Sifinploms — Diiliiess; a constant dispositson to 

 sleep, resting the head on any convenient place, and 

 reeling and staggering in attempting to walk. 



