Vegetable Growing in Frames 227 



fourth of the bulk of forest leaves mixed with the 

 manure. This material should be made mod- 

 erately moist and the pit filled, taking care to 

 tramp the material as firmly as possible. Over 

 this is placed about four inches of good loam — 

 this also should have some well-decomposed 

 manure mixed with it — and made firm. The 

 frame should then have leaves, manure, or litter 

 placed about it as high as possible. The heat 

 given off by the fermenting manure should ad- 

 vance the plants materially. 



Hotbeds heated by steam or hot-water pipes 

 from greenhouses or dwellings are also frequently 

 made. 



In addition to the banking about the sides 

 with some material, both hotbeds and cold- 

 frames should be covered during cold weather 

 with wooden shutters made for the purpose, and 

 with mats, straw, or leaves. 



In locating the frames, place them facing 

 south, and a site should be chosen that is pro- 

 tected from north and west winds by buildings, a 

 tight board fence, or anything that will act as a 

 windbreak. 



If the soil where the frames are to be placed 

 is either stiff clay or light sand, a few inches 

 should be removed from the surface and replaced 

 with some good friable loam over which should 



