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their time of maturity and greatly increase the kinds 

 and varieties grown. In the fall of the year they 

 may also be used to prolong the season of fresh 

 vegetables up to almost the holiday season. 



The hotbed, as its name indicates, requires some 

 heat for its proper management. The most com- 

 mon source of heat is fermenting organic matter, 

 usually fresh horse manure. The frame for the bed 

 may be made of wood, concrete, stone or brick. Wood 

 is most commonly used, although the construction 

 of permanent hotbeds with concrete is becoming 

 much more common. The frame may be of any 

 desired length, and usually six feet in width. The 

 frame should face the south and have a slope of 

 about six inches from the back to the front. Cross- 

 bars should be placed at frequent intervals. The 

 construction will usually be more rigid and satisfac- 

 tory if these crossbars are placed three feet apart, 

 which is the common width for the sash. 



A WELL-MADE HOTBED 



