THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 149 



for your hotbeds. Fork out the old soil to a depth of from four to six 

 inches; put in the manure, tramping it down firmly to a depth 

 of eighteen 'inches or so. The amount of manure required will depend 

 upon the climate and upon how early in the Spring the bed is made. 

 If soil that i not frozen i$ available, it will be well to put an inch 

 or so of fresh soil on top of the old in which to sow the seeds. Any 

 soil which has been removed should be put back on top of the manure 

 and thoroughly fined and raked level. Then put on the sashes and 



Small vegetable garden on suburban lot, with neat wire fence on left and 

 wooden pathway 



let the frames stand until a thermometer hung inside recedes to a. 

 temperature of 70 deg. to 80 deg., when it will be ready for the first 

 sowing of seed. 



DIGGING AND PREPARING THE SOIL. With the soil adequately en- 

 riched and thoroughly prepared, success is half won before you begin. 

 Insufficient preparation, no matter how good your seeds may be, will 

 remain a drag and a handicap throughout the entire season. The soil 

 is the sole source of nourishment for the tremendous development 

 plants will have to make through the comparatively few weeks of the 

 growing season. All their food is absorbed in the form of a weak solu- 

 tion. We have already spoken of the necessity for thorough drainage. 



