April, 1909 
mixed with an equal quantity of straw or 
leaves and may be placed at once in the pit, 
pressing it lightly into the corners but not 
packing it down. If very dry it may be 
sprinkled with hot water and the sash should 
then be closed and the mass left to heat. 
Professional gardeners usually place the 
manure in a large pile to heat, and turn it 
over once or twice to insure the even heating 
ot the mass, but this course is hardly practica- 
ble in a small private plant, as to handle a 
small pile in this way would retard its heat- 
ing indefinitely; it needs the protection of the 
pit to bring it to an active state of fermenta- 
tion, and should not be disturbed after that 
kas once begun more than is necessary to bring 
it into an even temperature and firmness of 
mass. 
When the mass is thoroughly heated in all 
its parts, especially in the corners, which may 
readily be ascertained by thrusting a fork into 
it for a few moments and feeling of the tines 
when removed, it should be tramped down 
firmly, making the surface as level as possible. 
Over this fresh manure I always like to place 
an inch or two of old, well-rotted manure 
made as fine as possible. This is to furnish 
food for the plants and prevent their entering 
the fresh manure, which would seriously burn, 
if it did not actually kill, the tender plants. 
One sometimes sees the plants in the hotbeds 
apparently burned by the sun, though much 
care may have been exercised in airing and 
shading the beds, but usually, if a few of the 
plants were pulled up, it would be found that 
not the tops but the roots have been burned, 
by contact with the raw manure. 
Over the manure about five inches of good, 
1ich soil should be placed, and it will be well 
if the last inch of this is sifted through a sand 
sieve to remove all stones, sticks and bits of 
roots, as many of the seeds to be sown will 
be very fine and would not do their best if 
planted in rough soil. The soil should be 
leveled off smooth and as nearly level as pos- 
sible, in order that the water used in watering 
may not run and wash the seeds in the soil. 
The soil should be moist but not wet at the 
time of sowing the seeds, and if too dry it 
will be well to water lightly with a watering 
pot rose and allow to partially dry out before 
sowing. 
Plant seeds of plants requiring the same 
temperature and conditions in the same sec- 
tion of the hotbed. Those requiring little heat 
and abundance of air had better be at one end, 
where the sash may be left entirely open at 
times without affecting the rest of the beds. 
The partitions should be so arranged as to 
close the juncture of the several sash, so that 
when one is open its neighbor will not be 
affected. 
As far as possible it is desirable to plant 
seeds which germinate at about the same time 
in the same part of the bed, as they are more 
easily handled. All seeds should be sown in 
little plats separated from the other plats by 
thin strips of wood, and each plat distinctly 
labeled with name and date of sowing and, 
when known, the period at which it germi- 
nates. 
Very small, fine seed do not need to be cov- 
ered, merely pressed into the soil with the 
hand, or a piece of board with a handle on one 
side kept for just that purpose; somewhat 
coarser seed may be sifted over the surface and 
fine soil or sand sifted over it and the whole 
pressed down, while seeds of appreciable size 
may be sown in shallow drills and the earth 
drawn back over them and pressed down, 
while large seeds should be covered their own 
thickness with earth; but in all and every case 
the soil must be firm above them. After all 
is done the soil may be lightly watered with a 
rubber sprinkler or a very fine rosed watering 
4 Sermentine) = 
Makes Very Dainty and Serviceable 
CURTAINS 
DRAPERIES 
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Bound Volumes 0 aren 1905 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
| WASHES without IRONING # 
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American Nome Noten te a 
and Gardens oe on 
MUNN & CO., Publishers 
Wall Papers and 
Wall Coverings 
A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK 
for Decorators, Paperhangers, Archi- 
tects, Builders and House Owners, 
with many half-tone and other illus- 
trations showing the latest designs 
By ARTHUR SEYMOUR JENNINGS 
EXTRACT FROM PREFACE 
HE author has endeavored to include 
characteristic designs in vogue to- 
day, and to give reliable information 
as to the choice of wall papers as well as 
to describe the practical methods of ap- 
plying them. In dealing with matters 
concerning decoration there is always the 
danger of leaning too much toward an 
ideal and of overlooking the practical re- 
quirements of commercial life. The au- 
thor hopes that he has been successful in 
avoiding this fault, and that his book will 
be regarded as both practical and useful. 
One Large 8vo Volume, Cloth. $2 
MUNN & CO., 361 Broadway, NEW YORK 
361 Broadway, New York ; - 
our preparations in your home. We will send 
WW" WANT a sample of wood finishing done with 
the materials to do the work. 
Here they are: 
A bottle of Johnson’s Electric Solvo to quickly re- 
move the old finish — 
A bottle of Johnson’s Wood Dye (you to choose the 
color from our 14 different shades) to color the wood— 
A sample of Johnson’s Prepared Wax to give that 
beautiful ‘‘hand-rubbed” effect — 
And our illustrated guide book for home beautifying which includes complete color 
card and tells how to finish and refinish wood. 
No doubt you have some piece of furniture that you prize highly, yet do not use 
on account of the worn condition of its finish, or because it does not harmonize with 
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Use this outfit, which we want to send you free, for refinishing it, and you will 
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May we send you these three packages, and the valuable six-color book, free 
at once? 
Learn from the test the beautiful effect obtained from the use of 
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Itisnot a mere stain. It isa deep seated dye—sinking into the pores of the 
wood and bringing out the beauty of the grain. 
When finished with 
Johnson’s Prepared Wax you havea permanent finish of real beauty 
and most artistic effect. 
We want to give you these three pack- 
ages at once. Send twelve (12) cents to partially pay cost of pack- : 
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& : a 
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Johnson’s Wood Dye comes in 14 Standard shades: 
- 126 Light Oak . 130 Weathered Oak 
. 127 Dark Oak . 131 Brown Weathered Oak 
. 125 Mission Oak . 132 Green Weathered Oak 
. 170 Manilla Oak . 124 Moss Green 
. 110 Bog Oak . 122 Forest Green 
. 128 Light Mahogany _ 172 Flemish Oak 
. 129 Dark Mahogany . 178 Brown Flemish Oak 
Half-pints 30c; pints 50c. Johnson’s Prepared 
Wax, 10c and 25c packages. Also sold in large 
sizes. For sale by all leading paint dealers. 
Send coupon today to 
S. C. Johnson & Son, Racine, Wis. 
“The Wood Finishing Authorities” 
