66 — How to Make the Garden Pay. 



warmed through, and the weed seeds near the surface have 

 had time to germinate. Then remove the sashes, rake the 

 surface thoroughly to kill the weeds, and make a smooth and 

 fine seed-bed; and you are ready for planting or sowing seed. 

 The illustration on preceding page represents a cross-section of 

 bed. 



Sometimes the manure, especially if poor, /. e. from poorly- 

 fed animals, refuses to come to a heat. Then all you have to do 

 is to make it richer by mixing it with hen manure, bone dust or 

 by throwing hot soapsuds, rank liquid manure, etc., upon it. 

 This treatment will generally bring it to terms. One good load 

 of manure is about sufficient for two sashes. 



The depth of the manure in hot-beds is variously given as 

 1 8, 24 and 30 inches. This is a question hinging on locality, 

 season and plants to be grown. For general purposes in a climate 

 like that of New Jersey or southern Pennsylvania, and late in 

 February, or beginning of March, an 18-inch layer of fermenting 

 manure may do ; but in a severer climate, earlier in the winter, 

 or for the production of pepper and ^^g plants, or other plants 

 requiring considerable heat, the manure should be 24 to 30 inches 

 in depth, and the pit be dug deep enough to answer these condi- 

 tions. The first use in the season made of the hot-beds is in grow- 

 ing lettuce for early 

 market. They are got 

 in readiness and planted 

 by middle of January. 

 I Plant about 6 or 7 inches 

 i square, cover the beds 

 f with straw mats or light 

 shutters during cold 

 nights, and give ventila- 

 tion in clear, warm days. 

 Radishes are grown in 

 same way. Watering, if not done by means of a stream forced 

 through rubber hose, is facilitated by means of a long-spouted 

 watering pot or sprinkler. When the crop is taken off, the beds 

 may be used same as cold frames. 



Starting Early Plants. — The chief and most important 

 use of hot-beds is for the production of ^g^ plants, tomato and 

 pepper plants, also of cabbage plants for early planting when the 

 needed supply of cold-frame-wintered plants is not at hand. 

 For starting tomato, &%% and pepper plants, the beds are 

 generally put in readiness in February or March, and the seed 

 sown rather thickly (best in regular rows), lightly covered 

 with fine soil, mold or pulverized moss, and firmed by lightly 

 patting the soil with some convenient implement, as the back 



Firming Board. 



