January The Passing of Winter 



with 2 inches of soil and put 10 or 12 inches apart. The 

 ground needs to be deeply dug for this crop, and if the 

 soil requires manure, this ought to be placed at least 12 

 inches down. 



Seeds to Sow. Broad Beans may be sown out of doors 

 towards the end of the month, if an early supply is wanted; 

 a suitable variety is Beck's Dwarf. Radishes germinate 

 quickly in a warm greenhouse, and an early and welcome 

 gathering of roots is obtained by sowing now. Seeds of 

 Cauliflower Snowball, if sown under glass, will produce 

 plants suitable for putting out of doors early in April. 

 Peas, too, may now be sown in pots in the greenhouse. 

 The variety Gradus is suitable. A useful crop of French 

 Beans can be grown from seed sown now in pots in the 

 greenhouse, while if early Tomatoes or Cucumbers are 

 required, a few seeds ought to be sown in pots under glass. 

 Those who grow Onions for exhibition, sow the seeds under 

 glass towards the end of this month. For ordinary pur- 

 poses it is not necessary to do so, although seedlings raised 

 under glass are not so liable to be attacked by the Onion 

 fly as those sown out of doors later. 



Making a Hotbed. Those who do not possess a glass- 

 house may obtain early vegetables by means of a hotbed. 

 This is made of half strawy manure and half leaves, or 

 wholly of manure. The latter is turned several times 

 during the course of a week or ten days before being made 

 up. The bed should be trodden down firmly, and then 

 ought to be not less than from 2 or 3 feet in thickness. If 

 no frame is available to place upon the hotbed the latter 

 can be made in the ground, a low turf wall or a few bricks 

 being used to support a glass " light, " as the top of the 

 frame is called. A bed of fine soil about 6 inches in depth 

 is arranged on the hotbed, and there seeds are sown. 

 After the bed of manure is made, a little air should be left 

 on the frame for a few days to allow of the escape of f umes, 

 and for this reason sowing ought not to take place imme- 

 diately. 



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