CHAPTER VII. 



TO MAKE A HOTBED AND CARE FOE. SAME. 



TAKE two twelve inch planks or boards and stand 

 them on edge for the back, one on top of the other, 

 and one twelve inch plank or board for the front. Nail or 

 screw cleats on them to prevent them from warping. The 

 ends are made five feet, ten inches long and placed inside 

 the sides. Saw one twelve inch board, cut five feet, ten 

 inches long, diagonally and place on top of a twelve inch 

 board of the same length at each end of the bed. Put two 

 by two or two by four inch posts in the corners and nail, 

 screw or bolt the sides and ends to them. The best loca- 

 tion is a sunny exposure facing the south or southwest. 

 The best exposure is on the south side of a building or 

 fence as the bed is then protected from cold winds. The 

 front or low side, should always be towards the sun. Hotbed 

 sash are generally made three feet by six feet. The glass 

 in them should lap about three-sixteenths of an inch. 

 Sash are made to take six by eight inch, eight by ten inch 

 and ten by twelve inch glass. The latter gives the most 

 light but the sash containing less bars are not quite as 

 strong. Old windows may be used, in which case the bed 

 is made as wide as the windows are long. The edges of 

 the planks should be planed, according to the slant, so the 

 sash fit exactly. If the bed is to remain permanently, the 

 sash may be hinged on the back, or, if there is room, they 

 may slide. It is necessary to put braces from front to back 

 of the bed, and it is well to put these every three feet, so 

 the sash may rest on them. The top of them should be 

 nearly, or quite, even with the top of the frame. Two by 

 four inch strips should be used with the ends cut on a 

 bevel so they fit exactly. To get this bevel, place the two 

 by four inch strips on the hotbed frame and hold a straight 

 edged stick or square against the inside of the front and 



