FEBRUARY: SECOND WEEK 



43 



clean, fairly fresh horse manure, and unless it has already a 

 good quantity of fine bedding mixed through it get rotted 

 leaves to the bulk of half to two-thirds of the manure. 

 Mix the two thoroughly to form a compost, and tramp it 

 down as firmly as possible in a compact heap, preferably 

 under a shed or cover of some sort. 



In a few days, when the mass begins to steam, it should be 

 forked over and made into a new pile. Tramp down each 

 layer and build it up compactly, as before, and if it seems to 

 be drying out add enough water to keep the whole moist, 

 but not wet. Remake the pile, if possible, on a warm day. 



When the compost is ready put it in place to a depth of 

 about fifteen to twenty-four inches. Half a cord will be 



sufl&cient for a three-sash frame, unless it must be placed 

 on the frozen ground. Then a Kttle more than twice the 

 first quantity will be needed. It should be spread out in a 

 broad, low heap, nine to ten feet wide, eighteen to twenty- 

 four inches deep, extending a foot and a half or so beyond 

 the ends of the frame, and banked up round the frame. In 

 making a bed of this sort it will be necessary to buy some 

 soil at a florist's or market gardener's. The manure should 

 be tramped down thoroughly and allowed to begin active 

 fermentation again. After a few days the soil may be put 

 on to a depth of four to six inches. Then, unless you are in 

 too great a hurry, give a good watering and leave the sashes 

 on a few days to let the soil warm up and to give some of the 

 weed seeds a chance to sprout. The soil will then be in a 

 good condition to mix with chip dirt or leaf mold for use in 

 the seed flats. 



One of the secrets of growing early crops in the frames 

 successfully is to have the soil rich in available nitrogen. 



