A-B-C OF VEGETABLE GARDENING 



with glass, into which plants from the hot- 

 bed are to be set for the purpose of hardening 

 them off before they are put into the open 

 ground. In other words, it is a hotbed with- 

 out heat. The temperature in it ought to 

 register from 60"^ to 65°. Raise the sash an 

 inch or two on sunny days before the rays 

 of the sun striking on the glass raise the 

 temperature inside to a degree too intense 

 for the good of your plants. 



It will be readily understood from what I 

 have said above that in order to attain suc- 

 cess in the management of a hotbed great 

 care will have to be exercised at all times 

 and frequent attention given. It is not a self- 

 regulating thing by any means. You will 

 have to consider the weather, the time of day 

 when ventilation should be given, frequency 

 of watering, and other matters which cannot 

 be touched on here because of a more or less 

 local character. 



Plants in the hotbed should be watered 



cautiously. An oversupply will often cause 



the seedlings to ^^damp off,'^ and n lack of 



sufficient moisture at the roots will speedily 



result in injury, if not death. TVTienever 



water is applied, use a sprinkler that throws 



a fine spray. If thrown on the soil in a stream 



the water will often wash the smaller plants 



74 



