CONSTRUCTION AND CARE OF HOTBEDS 



box factory, long, thin, narrow strips of wood ad- 

 mirable for this purpose can be secured. These 

 make excellent labels, also, and should be pre- 

 pared in advance of the time of planting. Not only 

 the name of the seed should appear on these, but 

 also the date of sowing and, where known, the 

 period of germination. It is also well, where seeds 

 of different seedsmen are used, to put the name or 

 initials of the seedsman on the label. In this way 

 one can judge of the relative value of the seeds, 

 particularly if one is buying in large quantities. 



In planting the seed, it is necessary to consider 

 carefully the requirements of the various plants, 

 and give those requiring a considerable amount of 

 heat a sash by themselves, which the partitions 

 under each sash will make possible, and place those 

 requiring less heat and more air by themselves. 



In gardening on a large scale, separate hotbeds 

 should be used, and they should be started at differ- 

 ent times to accommodate the requirements of the 

 different plants ; but in the small home garden this 

 is not practicable, for even one small bed, three by 

 six feet, may, by the use of a partition, be used to 

 start a variety of vegetables at the same time with 

 very fair success. 



[63] 



