24 HOTBEDS. 



stances, the earth" may be put on. This. should not 

 be done, however, until the manure is well heated 

 inside the frames. Six or eight inches of leaf-mold, 

 or good garden-soil free from stones, will answer. 



Two or three days from the time of putting in 

 the earth the seed may be sown. Select a pleasant 

 day, and remove all the sashes and mats. Unless 

 the soil is very rich, a handful of bone-flour or super- 

 phosphate should be sprinkled over each light. Then 

 turn the earth over with a digging-fork, and rake the 

 surface level ; for, if left slanting, the freqiient 

 watering will wash the seed from the upper or rear 

 part of the bed. 



Make shallow drills from rear to front two inches 

 apart and about three-quarters of an inch deep ; sow 

 the seed in these drills, and cover lightly by sifting 

 earth over the bed until the surface is again level. 

 Each kind of seed should be sown separately, and 

 labeled at the time of sowing. Replace the sashes, 

 and, toward night, put on the mats. Except in very 

 cold weather, the mats should be taken off daily 

 about 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning. 



The secret in growing strong, stocky plants is, 

 when they are well up, to give an abundance of air 

 at the right time. For instance, if the sashes are 

 opened soon after removing the mats, the chances 

 are that the young plants vnll be injured by what 

 gardeners call " damping off." While the plants are 

 young, no air should be admitted into the beds for 

 at least one hour after the mats have been removed. 

 Each succeeding mild day more air may be given to 

 the plants, to keep them from growing spindling. 



