210 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENS 
Banking. When the weather is cold, bank the frames 
around the outside with a foot of manure, leaves, or 
straw. Cover this banking with three or four inches of 
soil, which serves to keep the litter in place and forms 
a crust for further defense. 
Care of a hotbed. At the North, in addition to the 
glazed sash, mats of burlap or carpet will be needed on 
cold nights. During bright days, even when the tem- 
perature outside is near the freezing point, it will be 
necessary to lift the sash a little at the high side of the 
frame, to allow the hot air to escape and prevent mjury 
to the young plants. 
Watering. Hotbeds should be watered in the morn- 
ing, and then only on bright days. Watering at night 
causes a loss of the accumulated heat. The water itself 
lowers the temperature, so that on cold nights the dan- 
ger from frost is greatly increased. The excessive mois- 
ture resulting from watering the leaves and confining 
them during the night also conduces to the development 
of mildew and the damping-off fungus. 
Pits. Pits are excavations from two to four feet deep, 
with sides protected by plank or brick walls, upon which 
a cold frame is placed and covered with sash. They are 
valuable for storing vegetables, and hardy flowering 
plants in tubs or urns used about the lawn during the 
summer. The sides of the frame should be banked with 
manure covered with three or four inches of soil. Dur- 
ing severe weather the pit should be covered with mats 
or carpet held down by boards. 
