38 CELERY CULTURE 



receive an abundance of sunlight. The young celery 

 plants will thrive in a night temperature of from 

 55 to 65° F. and 65 to 75° during the day. 



Construction and Care of Hotbeds. — There 

 are a number of forms of hotbed, the essential 

 being an enclosure covered with sash and supplied 

 with some form of heat, usually fermenting stable 

 manure, to keep the plants warm and in a growing 

 condition. The hotbed should always face to the 

 south, and the south side of either a dwelling, barn, 

 tight board fence, hedge, or anything affording 

 similar protection, will furnish a good location. 

 In the North the hotbed should be started during 

 the last of February or early in March, but the seed 

 should not be sown until the bed has attained an 

 even temperature. The manure-heated hotbed will 

 become quite hot at first and should be made long 

 enough to permit the temperature to become uni- 

 form before sowing the seed. There are two or 

 three forms of hotbeds that are worthy of descrip- 

 tion, and the plans suggested may be modified to 

 suit local conditions. 



Temporary Hotbeds. — A temporary hotbed is 

 easily constructed by the use of manure from the 

 horse stable as a means of furnishing the heat. 

 Select a w^ell-drained location, shake out the manure 

 into a broad, fiat heap, and thoroughly compact 

 it by tramping. The manure heap should be 8 to 

 9 feet wide, 18 to 30 inches deep when compacted, 

 and of any desired length, according to the num- 

 ber of sash to be employed. The manure employed 



