i?6 



OF HOT BHDS. 



SECT. XIII. 



they come in perfeftion by open culture, yet may be 

 forwarded by artificial warmth. 



According to the quantity and quality of the mate- 

 rials put together for hot beds, the heat will be pro- 

 portioned as to ftrength and duration ; and by a judi- 

 cious ufe in making, and the management afterwards, 

 many advantages may be obtained from them. The 

 great point is, to fuit the degree of heat to the nature 

 of the different plants to be cultivated, that they may 

 have neither more nor lefs than is necejjary to promote 

 a regular vegetation. 



Two errors are common in the ufe of hot beds, low- 

 ing or placing in the fame bed things of a very different 

 nature, as to the climate they grow beft in, and forcing 

 with too much heat even the tenderer!;. Though it 

 may not anfwer our often too ha fly views, the heat of 

 a bed had better be flack than otherwife. A flrong hot 

 bed, that ought (at leaf!) to be made a fortnight before 

 it is u fed, is fometimes furnifhed by impatience in a 

 few days, and various ill confequences follow, which, 

 naturally frustrate expeftation. 



The place where hot beds are worked fhould be open 

 to the full fun, catching it as early as poflible in the 

 morning, and having it as long as can be in the evening ; 

 and if not naturally fheltered, it mould be fcreened 

 from the north and north-eajl winds by a boarded fence, 

 or rather one of reeds, as from a folid fence the wind 

 reverberates ; but ftraw, or flake hurdles, fet endwife, 

 may do. A fcreen of fbme fort, (and a clofe clipt 

 hedge is as good as any) not only protefts the inclo- 

 fure from the harfher winds, and confines the warm 

 air, but keeps a rather unfightly work from view, and 

 ' ftraw s from blowing about, the litter of which is fo 

 difagreeable. In large gardens, however, they have 

 detached grounds for the work of hot beds, where fuch 

 litter is of no consequence. 



Working of the dung is necefTary previous, to the 

 making a hot bed ; i.e. it mould be thrown together 



on 



