CHAPTER VIII 

 HOTBEDS, COLDFRAMES, AND FLOWER PITS 



The chief purpose of hotbeds is to start plants early enough to 

 have them mature in time for market or in some cases to get them 

 to mature before fall frosts kill them. A secondary purpose of hot- 

 beds is to grow vegetables of edible maturity out of their natural 

 season. Examples of crops started early in hotbeds are tomatoes 

 peppers, eggplant, cabbage, kohl-rabi, cauliflower, and others. 

 Among the crops that may be grown to edible maturity in hotbeds 

 are those which mature quickly and which do not require great 

 heat. Examples are lettuce, radish, spinach, and sometimes car- 

 rots, beets, and turnips. 



Frames for Hotbeds. — The standard size of hotbed frames is 

 six feet from the low side at the south to the high side at the north. 

 In length east and west there is no limit. They are however com- 

 monly made into a length which is some multiple of three feet, 

 that is, either three, six, nine, twelve, etc. The low side of the 

 frame should be about one foot above the soil inside. The high 

 side should be about eighteen inches above the soil inside. The 

 difference in height gives a slope to the glass covering toward the 

 south so that the rays of the sun will enter the pit better. 



How Frames are Made. — If a piece of two by four is placed in 

 each corner of the frame and the boards nailed to these, the frame 

 may be easily constructed. The two end pieces must be cut at a 

 bevel to agree with the sloping of the bed. If a six-inch slope is to 

 be given as suggested, a board six feet long and six inches wide may 

 be marked diagonally from one corner to the other and sawed on 

 this mark. This will give the two pieces needed for the two sloping 

 ends. 



Glass for Hotbeds. — Sash made especially for hotbeds may be 

 easily constructed. These have the supporting strips for the glass 

 running from end to end without any cross piece except at the 

 head of the sash and under the glass at the foot of the sash. These 

 two hold the long strips in place. The glass may be of any desired 

 length and of a width to fit the distance between the strips. There 

 are two methods of placing the glass in the sash. (1) The glass 

 may be "butted/ ' that is, placed edge to edge. (2) The glass may 

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