HOT-BEDS, COLD FKAMES AND PITS. 91 



sashes, but by raising them at the back, holding them 

 open by a triangular block to slip in so that they can be 

 opened from two to five inches. Open the bed in the mid- 

 dle of the day, as above, but close early that the plants 

 may not become chilled. During warm, gentle rains, the 

 sash should be opened, but closed very carefully during 

 cold or heavy washing storms. About G0° is the proper 

 temperature; it should not rise above 75°. Such a bed 

 as this is invaluable for striking cuttings of all kinds, 

 in which case there should be an inch of clear river sand 

 or charcoal spread over the surface. Annuals of all kinds 

 for the flower garden, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and 

 lettuce plants, etc., will be ready, if the bed is made in 

 January, for transplanting quite as soon as they can be 

 removed with safety. Make the bed six or eight weeks 

 before the plants will be required. The quantity of 

 manure required to form a hot-bed varies with the season 

 and external temperature, a larger bulk being needed in 

 January than at a later season. Even a small bed should 

 have the mass not less than five feet long by four feet 

 wide, to maintain the proper heat. If the soil whereon it 

 stands is clayey the whole bed should be made above 

 ground, as the water settling in the trench would check 

 the heat of the entire bed. If the bed is made early in 

 the season it will require the application of fresh mate- 

 rials at the sides or " linings " to keep it at the proper 

 temperature. 



The best substitute for stable manure in forming a hot- 

 bed is spent tan, but to keep it in its position a plank bin 

 or a brick pit is required. It takes more time for the heat 

 to rise, but it is longer continued, milder and more man- 

 ageable than stable manure, and is quite sufficient for a 

 seed-bed. A little slightly fermented stable manure is 

 needed to be added to the center of the bed, as it will 

 start fermentation sooner. 



