262 AROUND THE YEAR IN THE GARDEN 



not "fire-fanged"; that is, not burned to a gray ash ap- 

 pearance by its own heat. This should be composted with 

 Htter or leaves, putting in about a third in bulk of the 

 latter material. Pile up the whole in a square heap and 

 give it a thorough wetting, and after about three or four 

 days fork it over, at the same time turning it "inside out," 

 or putting what was outside into the middle when you 

 repack it. For best results this operation should be re- 

 peated three or four times, after tramping it down firmly 

 each time. Half a cord of manure will be enough for two 

 or three sashes, as it should be packed in from one to two 

 feet deep, according to the severity of the climate and 

 the vegetables to be grown on it, and be covered with four 

 or, still better, six inches of soil. This manure, of course, 

 after it is used in the hot-beds will be as good as any other 

 for use on your garden or to enrich the cold-frames next 

 spring. The manure should be put in the frames a few days 

 before you want to use it, and its gradual fermentation will 

 then continue to give off heat for a long period. 



After setting the plants in their frames in their perma- 

 nent position they will require no care except an occasional 

 watering to keep the soil in good, moist condition, and the 

 going over the bed with the hand weeder to keep the soil in 

 good, loose condition. As cold weather approaches, how- 

 ever, it will be necessary to put the sash on, and then your 

 real work begins, first because you have got to attend strictly 

 to seeing that they get proper ventilation, and, furthermore, 

 the moisture from rain being cut off, you will have to be more 

 careful about the watering. There is only one rule about 

 ventilation — give all the fresh air you possibly can while 

 maintaining the proper temperature. On bright days strip 

 the sash off altogether, and in rainy weather when it is not 

 too cold. The two greatest troubles with lettuce imder 

 glass are the green hce (aphids) and rot. The former may 

 be taken care of by spreading tobacco stems or tobacco dust 

 about the bed under the leaves of the plants, and if this does 

 not keep them away, at the very first sign of one, spray 

 thoroughly with "Aphine, " "Black Leaf 40" or some other 



