For the Southern States. 



19 



TEE HOT BED, 



1 



Owing to the open Winters in the South, hot beds are not so much 

 used as in the North, except to raise such tender plants, as Eggplants, 

 Tomatoes and Peppers. There is little forcing of vegetables done here, 

 except as regards Cucumbers and Lettuce ; and if we do not have any 

 hard frosts the latter do.es better in the open ground than under glass. 

 To make a hot bed is a very simple thing, anyone who has the use of 

 tools can make the wooden frame, the sashes may be obtained at any 

 sash factory. I consider a wooden frame from five to six feet wide, and 

 ten feet six inches long, a very good size, it should be at least six inches 

 higher at the back than in the front, and covered by three sashes 3 2x5 

 feet. "The manure ought not to be over one month old, should be 

 thrown together in a heap, and when commencing to heat, be worked 

 over with a fork, and all the long and short manure evenly mixed. 

 In this State the ground is generally low, and to retain the heat of the 

 manure for a longer time, it is best to put the manure on top of the 

 ground. That is, make a bank two feet longer and two wider than the 

 frame ; keep the edges straight and the corners firm when thrown up 

 about eighteen inches, trample the manure down to six or eight inches, 

 then put on another layer of eighteen inches and trample down again ; 

 place thereon the frame and sash and fill in six inches of good earth. 

 After about five days stir the ground to kill any weeds which may have 

 come up, then sow the seeds. In lower Louisiana the ground is too wet 

 to dig out eighteen inches deep and then throw in the manure and 

 trample down as recommended in the North. A few hard rains, such 

 as we frequently have in winter, and the manure would become so 

 soaked beneath the ground, that the heat would be gone. Another 

 advantage when the frame is put above the ground is, that it will go 

 down with the manure gradually, and there remains always the same 

 space between the glass and the ground. If the ground is dug out and 

 the manure put into the frame, the ground will sink down so lov/ after 

 a short time, that the sun will have little effect upon it, and plants will 

 become spindly. 



