2 The Kitchen Garden. [Jan. 



dung, to make a fmall hot -bed for a feed-bed, in which to 

 raife the pkuirs to ridge out into larger hot-beds to remain to 

 fruit : for this purpofe a fmall bed for a one or two-light frame 

 msy befufficient, efpecially for private ufej in which cafe a 

 good cart load of proper hot dung, or about twelve or fifteen 

 large wheel-barrows full, will be enpugh for making a bed of 

 proper dimenfions for a one-light box, and fo in proportion 

 tor a larger. Having procured the dung, it mult beprevi- 

 ouily prepared by Ihaking it up in a heap, mixing it well to- 

 gether, and let it remain eight or ten days to ferment ; at 

 the expiration of which time it will be arrived at a proper 

 temperament for making into a hot-bed. 



Choofe a place on which to make the hot-bed, in a flieltered 

 dry part of the melon ground, &c. open to the morning and 

 fouth fun : and it may be made either wholly on the furface 

 of the ground, or in a fliallow trench, of but from fix to twelve 

 inches deep, and four or five feet wide, according to the frame ; 

 but if made entirely on the furface, which is gencmlly the 

 moft elegible method at this early feafon, it affords the op- 

 portunity of lining the fides of ihe bed with frefli hot dung 

 quite down to the bottom, to augment the heat when it 

 declines, and alfo prevents wet from fettling about the bot- 

 tom of the bed, as often happens when made in a trench, 

 which chills the dung, and caufeth the heat foon to decay. 



Then, according to the fize of the frame, mark out the 

 dimenfions of the bed with four ilakcs ; making an allow- 

 ance for it to be two or three inches wider tJum the frame 

 each way ; this done, begin to make the bed according to 

 .the extent of the flakes, obfcrving to fhake and mix the 

 dung well, as you lay it on the bed, and beat it down with 

 the back of the fork, as you go on ; but I would not advife 

 treading it ; for a bed which is trodden hard, will not work 

 lb kindly as that which is luffercd to fettle gradually of it- 

 felf: in this manner proceed till the bed is arrived at the 

 height of three feet, or thereabouts ; and if it is five or fix 

 inches higher, it will not be too much, but let it be full 

 three feet high : as foon as the bed is finifhed to the intended 

 height, let the frame and glafs be put on ; keep them clofc 

 till the heat comes up ; when-the heat has rifen to the top 

 of the bed, raife the glafs, that the fieam may pafs away. 



Three or four days after the bed is made, prepare to earth 



ir, previoufiy obfcrving if it has fettled unequally, take off 



the frame and light, and level any inequalities, make the 



furface fmooth, and pur on the frame again, and lay in as 



z much 



