ON THE CULTURE OF ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS. 43 



transplanting in the flower bed and borders ; for this pur- 

 pose, prepare a hot-bed in the beginning of March, in the 

 following manner. Collect two good cart-loads of hot horse 

 manure; or, if of equal parts of leaves collected from trees in 

 the fall and horse manure, the better ; shake it up and mix it 

 well together, at different times, until it gets into a state of 

 fermentation, which will be in a few days, when the bed may 

 be made in a sheltered situation; if protected by a board 

 fence, the better. 



Prepare the place for the bed by taking out one foot deep 

 of soil, a foot wider at each side and the ends than the in- 

 tended frame is in size. A two-light frame, four feet in width 

 and six feet in length, will answer a good purpose ; but in a 

 small garden, a frame half the size, with half the portion of 

 manure, will answer. 



Having the place prepared, make the bed by shaking the 

 manure well together, in order to make it of an equal texture, 

 beating it down with the back of the fork as you proceed 

 but never tread it with the feet, which is the cause of hot-beds 

 settling irregularly. The bed being made, place the frame 

 upon it immediately, to draw up the heat, cover it well by 

 night, and let it have the full influence of the sun by day, until 

 the heat rises, when the bed may be earthed all over with 

 about six inches of light, rich soil, which should be prepared 

 previous to its being made : half rotten leaf mould, or ma- 

 nure, and half mellow loam, will answer a good purpose for 

 compost. 



When the bed is earthed, the frame may again be closed, 

 to draw the heat, and, so soon as it rises, the seeds, of all 

 kinds of annuals, may be sown in shallow drills, and lightly 

 covered with fine earth ; care must be taken, in this part of 

 the process, to give air sufficient, by night and by day, to let 

 off the steam that arises, in order that the youri^f plants may 

 not damp off, or be too much drawn in a weak and slender 

 manner, especially when the heat begins to rise after earthing 

 the bed, which will be in a few days. When the plants have 



