H O 



to rife very copioufly while the 

 Dung is frefh j but as the Heat 

 abates, fo the Covering fhould be 

 cncreas'd, vitherwife the Plants in 

 the Beds will be fiunted in their 

 Growth, if not intirely deftroy'd. 

 In order to remedy this Evil, if the 

 Bed be very Cold, you muft put a 

 pretty good Quantity of new hot 

 Dung round the Sides of it, which 

 will add a frefli Heat thereto, and 

 caufe it to continue a coniiderable 

 Time after ; and as the Spring ad- 

 vances, Co the Sun will lupply the 

 Lofs of the Dung's Heat : but then 

 It will be advileable to lay fome 

 Mowings of Grafs round the Sides 

 of the Bed, eipccially if the Nights 

 fhould prove cold, as it often hap- 

 pens in May, which is many times, 

 even at that Seafon, very hurtful to 

 tender Plants on Hot-beds. 



But although the Hot- bed I have 

 deicribed is what the Kitchen Gar- 

 deners commonly ufe, yet thofe 

 made with Tanner's Bark are much 

 more preferable, efpecially for all 

 tender Exotick Plants or Fruits, 

 which require an even Degree of 

 Warmth to be continu'd for leveral 

 Months i which is what cannot be 

 effeded by Horfe-dung. The Man- 

 ner of making theie Beds is as 

 follows : 



You muH: dig a Trench in the 

 Earth about three Feet deep, if the 

 Ground be dry; but if. wet, it mufl: 

 not be above a Foot deep at moll, 

 and mud be rais'd two Feet above- 

 ground. The length muft be pro- 

 portion'd to the Frames intended 

 to cover it ; but that fliould never 

 be lefs than eleven or twelve Feet, 

 and the Width not lefs than fix, 

 which is but a fufficient Body to 

 continue the Heat. This Trench 

 fliould be brick'd up round the 

 Sides to the above-mentioned Size 

 ci three Feet, and fhould be fiH'd in 



H O 



the Spring with frefti Tanners Bark^ 

 (i. e. inch as the Tanners have lately 

 drawn out of their Vats, after they 

 have us'd it for tanning Leather) 

 which fliould be laid m a round 

 Heap for three or four Days before 

 it is put into the Trench, that the 

 Moifturc may the better drain out 

 of it, which, if detain'd in too 

 great a Quantity, will prevent its 

 Fermentation; then put it into the 

 Trench, and gently beat it down 

 equally with a Dung-fork : But it 

 muit not be trodden, which would 

 alfo prevent its heating, by fettling 

 too clofe : Then you muft put on 

 the Frame over the Bed, covering 

 it with the Glafies, and in about 

 ten Days or a Fortnight it will 

 begin to heat, at which Time you 

 may plunge your Pots of Plants or 

 Seeds into it, obferving not to tread 

 down the Bark in doing of it. 



A Bed thus prepar'd (if the Bark 

 be new, and not ground too fmail) 

 will continue in a good Temper of 

 Warmth for fix Months , and when 

 you find the Heat decline, if you 

 Ifir up the Bark again pretty deep, 

 and mix a Load or two of frcfli 

 Bark amongft the old, it will caufc 

 it to heat again, and preferve its 

 V/armth two or three Months 

 longer : There are many People 

 who lay fome hot Horfc-Dung in 

 the Bottom of the Trench under 

 the Bark, to caufe it to heat, but 

 this is what I would never pradife, 

 unlefs I wanted the Bed fooner than 

 the Bark wou:d heat of itfelf, and 

 then I would put but a fmall Quan- 

 tity of Dung at Bottom, for that is 

 fubjecl to make it heat too violent- 

 ly, and will ocrai'ion its loiing the 

 Heat fooner than ordinary, and 

 there will never be any Danger of 

 the Bark's heating, if it be new 

 VAid not put into the Trench too wet, 

 though it may fomcrimes be a Fort- 

 night 



