spring, just as an opera must have an overture, and 

 one should fall in love before getting married. If 

 it is made in the fall then you can be forearmed by 

 saving several barrels of fully rotted compost mixed 

 with one-fourth sand; these barrels must be kept in 

 a toolhouse or cellar out of the reach of freezing. 

 If you've ever tried the heart-breaking method of 

 thawing frozen earth in the hotbed with manure, 

 and found in the end that you had only mud in which 

 to plant your seed, you'll then appreciate the wis- 

 dom of the fall saving of soil. 



In the early spring have two feet of steaming 

 manure placed in the bottom of the bed, and let it 

 steam for several days ; then empty the barrels of 

 compost and sand on top of manure, shut the sashes 

 and " let her bile." It will steam tremendously for 

 four or five days, then it gets down to regular busi- 

 ness of more or less even heat. 



There are nice thermometers to be had to take 

 the bed's temperature, and find out when its fever 

 has dropped below 90 degrees; then you know it's 

 time to go ahead and plant. But as no one ever 

 gave me one of these thermometers I have to keep 

 sticking my finger down in the soil, and when it feels 

 about blood heat I plant; that is generally on or 



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