•64 VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



-that from horses fed on highly nitrogenous foods, i. e., on 

 grain foods, will heat best. The preparation of the manure 

 is very simple. It should be gathered together in a pile, 

 as fresh as may be, when if moist it will generally heat, 

 no matter how cold the weather. If it does not start to 

 heat readily, a few buckets of hot water poured into the 

 center of the pile will start it, if- of the right material. 

 When it gets nicely started, the pile should be turned 

 -over, throwing the outside manure into the center of 

 the pile and breaking up all the lumps. In a few days it will 

 heat again and will then be ready to go into the frames, but 

 do not put it into the frames until it is heating thoroughly. 

 Clear horse manure heats too violently and should be mixed 

 with about its bulk of leaves or fine straw. The leaves used 

 to keep frost out of the frames during winter now come in to 

 advantage for mixing with the manure. Of course, if the 

 manure gathered has considerable straw in it this admixture 

 of leaves is not necessary. 



The way of putting manure in the frames calls for some 

 little care. It should be broken up very fine, mixed with 

 leaves or other material and spread as evenly as possible 

 over the whole bed, taking special pains to have the frame well 

 filled in the center, as it settles there much quicker than at the 

 sides. As the manure is put in, it should be packed down 

 quite firmly by the feet, taking great care to have it 

 evenly packed throughout. Now put on the sash and cover 

 until it heats well all through the bed. If it does not 

 start to heating quickly enough, a few buckets of hot water 

 should be added. When well warmed through, level off the 

 top of the manure and cover with soil six inches deep. This 

 soil should have been prepared in the autumn and protected 

 from frost by mulching or put under the leaves in the bed : 

 but if this provision has not been made the soil may be 

 searched for in cellars, under strawstacks, in the woods under 

 leaves or elsewhere, or the soil may be thaw r ed out by the use of 

 sash and manure. As this latter process is tedious all ex- 

 perienced growers prepare their soil in autumn. 



After the soil is put on. it should be left until it is warmed 

 through and the weed seeds near the surface have germinated. 

 Then remove the sashes and make the surface fine with a rake and 



