HOT-BEDS AND COLD-FRAMES 147 



way. Fresh horse manure, as we know, will heat when 

 packed together ; it will even burn out in a short time, leav- 

 ing itself white and cold. But by mixing with it a proper 

 amount of straw it will not get so hot, yet will last much 

 longer. Thus by putting some of this manure under the 

 soil in our frames, we can get and keep the right temperature. 



Such an arrangement of manure, soil, frame, and sash, is 

 called a hot-bed. Used without the manure, the frame and 

 sash are called a cold-frame. The hot-bed may be planted 

 even as early as February, the cold-frame not until a month 

 or more later. 



Hot-beds can be used in two ways. Either we can spread 

 the hot manure right on the frozen ground, and having packed 

 it in a bed at least eighteen 

 inches thick, we can put our 

 frame and soil on that; or 

 we can dig a hole in the 

 ground and pack the ma- 

 nure in, and then fit the 

 frame snugly around the 

 upper part of the hole. The FlG - 78 - ~ The t u ho f-^ d se * f h ° ve e 



1 ground. i. he method is wasteful of 



first way wastes heat, for manure, 

 much of the warmth must 



go to thawing the frozen ground below, and some escapes 

 into the air. Besides, it takes more manure, for the bed 

 must be very thick, and it also must be spread out at least 

 a foot longer and wider than the frame. If the manure is 

 put into the ground, not so much is needed ; and if sur- 

 rounded by wood, which will keep the sides of the hole 

 from crumbling, not so much of the heat escapes. Let us 

 suppose that this best way is the one that we shall follow. 

 First let us settle the size of our frame. This may be 

 decided by the size of the place where we must put the 



