Gardening for Amateurs 



403 



The Hotbed 



NY heap of fresh manure develops 

 heat, but unless the manure is 

 ranged in the correct way the 

 heat is far from being a lasting one. 

 The gardener makes use of this valu- 

 able property of fresh manure by build- 

 ing a heap or hotbed so as to utilise 

 the heat in the best way, regulating it so 

 that it may last as long as possible. When 

 managed successfully a hotbed comes to be 

 one of the most useful aids to successful 

 gardening. By its help many plants can 

 be had in fit condition for planting out at 

 the earliest opportunity, while crops of 

 vegetables and salads can be raised at all 

 seasons of the year in a very short time. 



Preparation of the Manure. The best 

 substance for making a hotbed is stable 

 manure ; but grass, weeds, spent hops, and 

 fresh leaves can all be utilised ; when the 

 latter substances are used the heat is often 

 more violent and not so lasting. To econo- 

 mise, the straw manure should be mixed 

 with such of the above substances as are 

 available, and under all circumstances must 

 the materials be kept free from rain. The 

 manure should be as fresh as possible. 

 Whenever it is obtained stack it loosely 

 under shelter, and keep turning it over 

 every day until the rank steam and un- 

 pleasant smell are scarcely noticeable. This 

 sweetening process may take some time, but 

 the care given to the preparation of the 

 manure will prove beneficial later on. In 

 turning over the heap every day, stack it 

 up loosely, and be sure that the ingredients 

 are thoroughly mixed in order to ensure 

 uniform heating of the whole mass ; shake 

 out any lumps that form in the heap. If 

 towards the end of the process the manure 

 tends to become dry, water may be sprayed 

 on the heap, just sufficient to moisten it 

 and no more. A week is generally given to 

 the preparation of the manure. 



Making the Hotbed. When the manure 

 is ready select a part of the garden for the 

 bed ; it should be high and dry, fairly sunny, 

 yet sheltered from the coldest winds. Some 

 gardeners simply pack the manure in tin- 



bottom of a deep frame, spread a thin layer 

 of soil on top, and use the hotbed in this 

 way. Others, again, build it up and place 

 the frame on top. If the latter method is 

 adopted build the hotbed the same shape 

 as the frame and from 1 foot to 18 inches 

 wider than it. Keep the sides perpendicu- 

 lar and neat ; turf is sometimes stacked 

 round the fermenting mass to conserve the 

 heat. Whatever is done, pack the manure 

 tightly ; after every 6-inch layer of manure 

 is added beat or tramp it firmly down ; the 

 deeper the hotbed the greater and more pro- 

 longed heat can be expected from it. It is 

 quite common to have the hotbed 4 feet 

 deep. When finished, place the frame on 

 top, fix the light in position, but open a 

 few inches to let any steam escape. 



Testing the Hotbed. After the hot- 

 bed has been made and well tramped it 

 will begin to rise in temperature. As long 

 as the heat is getting greater it must not be 

 used, and to determine when the tempera- 

 ture is on the decline a stick is buried in 

 the heap and tested at the same time every 

 day. It is better, of course, to use a ther- 

 mometer, and if this is done a hole is bored 

 for it in the centre of the heap, well down 

 into the manure. When the stick can be 

 held comfortably in the hand and the tem- 

 perature has not shown any signs of further 

 rising, then the hotbed may be used for 

 any purpose. Spread soil on top of it, some 

 3 to 6 inches thick, and utilise in what- 

 ever way necessary. A hotbed made pro- 

 perly will retain its heat for six or eight 

 weeks during winter or spring. If the heat 

 begins to decline before the proper amount 

 of work is finished, bank up fresh manure 

 round the sides ; these " linings," as they 

 are called, are employed fresh from the 

 stables, and the greater the quantity the 

 better will be their power of affording heat. 

 When the heat of one lining subsides and 

 a high temperature is still required, remove 

 it and add another. Linings, as a rule, are 

 only necessary for winter hotbeds or where 

 a continuous strong heat is required. A 

 hotbed made on March 1st will last long 



