63 GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



is necessary, if the sash is well made. The frame should 

 be made of incli and a half plank as high again in the 

 back as in the front, to give the sashes the proper slope to 

 the sun, and sufficient inclination to carry off the wet. 

 The front, of course, is towards the south. Let the back 

 and front be nailed to corner posts, so as to admit the ends 

 to fit in neatly, which ends are to be made fast to the posts 

 by common carriage bolts, in order that the frame may be 

 taken asunder to store when not in use. All joints in the 

 sides and ends should be tongued and grooved to prevent 

 the admission of cold air or the loss of warm air from the 

 bed. Each end should be made an inch and a half higher 

 than the back and front, and grooved out one-half its 

 thickness, to permit the sash to slide and leave the other 

 half to support the outside. At the corner, also, of each 

 sash, let another piece of scantling be placed, and on the 

 top of these, narrow strips the length of the sash are to 

 be nailed, for the sash to slide upon. Between the sashes, 

 nail an inch strip a little thicker than the sash to the nar- 

 row plank on which they slide, and put on the sash ; and 

 upon this strip, in cold weather, lay another narrow strip, 

 projecting over the sash a little, to cover the joint and 

 keep out the cold. Provide for the bed a full supply of 

 good horse manure from the stable, mixed with moist- 

 litter, preferring that which is fresh, moist, and full of heat. 

 If there is not sufficient litter in the mass the heat will 

 not be lasting ; so as a substitute add oak-leaves or tan- 

 bark. There should be at least one-third litter in the heap. 

 Shake it up and mix it well together, sprinkling with 

 water if dry, and throw it into a compact heap to ferment. 

 In two or thrae days if warm, or if cold in a week, turn it 

 over, and if dry and musty in any part, water again. Let 

 it be two or three days longer, and then work it over 

 thoroughly, as before, and water if necessary. In a dry, 

 sheltered situation opening to the south, mark out the 

 dimensions of the bed, making it fully a foot longer and 



