210 Growing Flowers 



for seed to germinate for a certain flower, and the 

 size at which it is to be transplanted, should always 

 be taken into consideration when starting the hotbed. 



If hotbed plants are getting too much sunlight, lay 

 a piece of thin green cloth over the sash, or cover 

 with a coating of leaves or shrubbery. When the 

 weather has grown warm and the plants are not 

 yet ready to be transplanted, a coating of paint 

 over the sash may prove satisfactory in regulating 

 the heat. 



A hotbed is not difficult to make, nor will it prove 

 to be expensive. A hole of the size planned should 

 be dug and the four sides well boarded that the 

 dirt may not slip down through the cracks. A 

 depth of two to three feet will be enough, and 

 stable manure should be packed on the bottom. 

 Many gardeners prefer to alternate layers of 

 manure with layers of sand to insure good drain- 

 age. The rear boards of the hotbed should be 

 higher than those in front, that there may be a 

 good slope to the sash for draining rain water. 

 After the manure has stood a couple of weeks in the 

 hotbed, a top layer of sand six inches in depth 

 should be placed on it, and this layer should come 

 within six or eight inches of the sash, as most 



