MAKING AND CARE OF HOTBEDS 223 



Some manure or soil can be thrown up against the outer 

 boards, which will help to hold the heat; put on the sash 

 and keep tight for three or four days. There should be 

 a thermometer kept in the hotbed, and when the tem- 

 perature falls to 70 degrees seed may be sown with 

 safety. The temperature in a hotbed should not be 

 allowed to go above 70 degrees in the day, nor below 50 

 at night. Seeds may be sown in it in the same way as 

 specified in the case of a cold frame, but it is safer for 

 the amateur to sow in pots, pans or flats than to sow in 

 the earth-bed of the hotbed. While a hotbed is new 

 it is well to always keep a chink of ventilation to allow 

 the discharge of "steam" or ammonia; if not, a damp 

 mould will spread over the seed-pots or the seedlings will 

 rot off. Keep the sprouted seeds by themselves, and the 

 pots of unsprouted ones by themselves; give increased 

 light and ventilation to the former. As regards harden- 

 ing off and transplanting, treat as for cold frames. A 

 hotbed should be covered overhead with straw mats or 

 carpet at night in cold weather to conserve the heat, but 

 this covering should be removed in the daytime. 



With a hotbed the amateur can start almost any kind 

 of vegetables or flower seed. By sowing such vegetables 

 as eggplant, pepper, tomatoes, etc., and such flower seeds 

 as heliotrope, scarlet sage, vinca, verbenas, etc., along in 

 March, it is possible to have nice stocky plants ready to 

 set out as soon as the weather conditions are favorable, 

 insuring early returns from the vegetables and a long 

 season of bloom from the flowers. 



I know of no better way of getting the youngsters in- 

 terested in agricultural matters than that of teaching 

 them how to make and care for the hotbed. 



The preparation of the manure is not such a particular 

 job as is generally supposed, but the simple principle in- 

 volved is not generally known. 



