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Beds. 



Q. What is a bed ? 



A. A bed is a layer of more or less thickness, com- 

 posed of dung covered ])y a few inches of prepared 

 earth, in which are sown the seeds of a large nnm- 

 ber of vegetables and plants, so as to insure and ac- 

 tivate their vegetation. 



Q. How many kinds of beds are there ? 



A. There are three different kinds of beds : 1° the 

 hot bed. 2o the lukewarm bed. 3o the open air or 

 cold bed. 



Q. Which of these three kinds of beds best suits 

 in this country. 



A. The hot bed ; but the open air or cold bed is 

 best adapted to the cultivation of melons. 



Hot beds. 



Q. How would you prepare a hot bed for the 

 useful garden of an ordinary farmer in this country, 

 supposing the garden to be one^acre square ? 



A. 1 would begin by building a first layer of fresh 

 dung of from 14 to 15 feet in length, 7 feet in width 

 and 2 feet high. This dung ought to be well pressed 

 and beaten down under the feet. I would build with 

 common boards a frame 12 feet long, 4 feet wide 

 and 2 feet high. I would then place this frame on 

 the dung layer so that the dung would exceed the 

 frame of from a foot to a foot and a half length- 



