THE HOTBED AND THE COLDFRAME 



The hotbed should be watered with a sprinkler, 

 keeping the soil just moist enough to crumble apart 

 slowly after being squeezed in the hand, as described in 

 the chapter on the soil. Be sure that the sash is always 

 in place after you have tended the bed forgetting to 

 replace it will result in plant tragedy. And be sure 

 to ventilate the hotbed on warm days by raising the 

 sash ever so little, or by slipping it down in the middle 

 of the day, between 11.30 and 1.30, when the sun is 

 shining directly on the glass. 



Till the soil of the hotbed as you would any- 

 where in the garden only do not keep the sash 

 off for any length of time. Reach under to do the 

 work. Nasty little green things that look like lice 

 will probably appear beastly, soft, smushy aphids 

 they are. They revel in hotbeds, but a solution made 

 of one- quarter pound of white soap dissolved in a 

 little boiling water and then reduced in strength by add- 

 ing five gallons of water, used tepid in a sprayer, will 

 make short work of them. They will come again, no 

 doubt but vigilance will save the crop from their devas- 

 tating armies. Fortunately they die easily almost as 

 easily as they come. They are often on the under side of 

 leaves and unsuspected until the leaf curls and then 

 unseen because of their color. Keep a sharp watch 

 for them. Other insect and fungous pests and how to 

 get rid of them will be taken up in a later chapter. 



A mat of straw or several thicknesses of burlap 

 should be provided .to cover the sash on cold 

 nights and it is seldom wise to build the bed before 



49 



