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AMERICAN HOMES AND GA 



RDENS 



March, 1907 



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For softening old finish so it may be easily removed. Half-pint cans, 25 cents. 

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GARDEN HINTS FOR MARCH 



By Eben E. Rexford 



HOTBED making will be in order this 

 month. Use fresh manure from the 

 horse stable. Be careful that it does 

 not become wet before put into the bed. Work 

 it over, and remove all straw and hay. Then 

 pile it up on the spot chosen for the hotbed, 

 covering a space somewhat larger than the hot- 

 bed itself is to occupy. It is a good plan to 

 spread it out in layers four or five inches thick, 

 treading each one down well before another 

 is added. Round the heap up well, and cover 

 to keep out rain. Leave it until fermentation 

 sets in. Then fork it over, and make another 

 heap of it. It will again ferment. After this 

 second fermentation it will be in proper con- 

 dition for use in the bed. Spread it out evenly 

 and pack it down well. It should be about 

 two and a half feet deep. 



It is now ready for the frame. This should 

 be about eighteen inches high at the back, 

 which should be toward the north. There 

 should be a slope of the sides of the frame 

 toward the south — a drop of from six to eight 

 inches from back to front, or sufficient to 

 bring the sash at the proper angle to receive 

 the full benefit of the sun. Bevel the back 

 and front boards in such a manner that the 

 sash will fit them snugly. If the frame is a 

 large one, it will be well to run a bar across 

 the center of it, from front to back. This will 

 give it necessary rigidity, and the bar will 

 serve as a central support for the sash. If 

 more than two pieces of sash are used, it is 

 advisable to run a bar under the meeting 

 places of each. 



Place the frame over the prepared soil. 

 Bank it up well all around with manure, 

 pressed down compactly. Then cover with 

 the sash. This should be allowed to remain 

 in place until a high degree of heat is gene- 

 rated. 



When this begins to decrease, and the ther- 

 mometer registers eighty-five to ninety degrees, 

 cover the manure inside the frame with about 

 six inches of very fine soil. 



The bed is now ready for use. Do not sow 

 seed before the middle of March, at the north. 

 Plants from seed sown then will be far enough 

 advanced by the time it is safe to put them in 

 the open ground. Earlier sown ones, which 

 are obliged to remain for a considerable length 

 of time in the hotbed, are pretty sure to be- 

 come weakened by close confinement. 



If one can have two hotbeds, one can be de- 

 voted to early vegetables, like radishes, lettuce, 

 and others of similar character. This can be 

 got into working condition by the first of the 

 month, and the second one held in reserve 

 for starting the plants which are to go into 

 the garden when warm weather comes. Under 

 such an arrangement as this I would not ad- 

 vise sowing the seeds of the latter class of 

 plants much before the last of the month. But 

 where one bed must answer for all kinds of 

 plants, some concession must be made to both 

 early and late ones, and we proceed on the 

 principle of "splitting the difference." 



A coldframe is almost as important as a 

 hotbed. The two should go together; in fact, 

 the plants started in the hotbed being trans- 

 planted to the coldframe, when they have 

 made two or three sets of leaves, there to re- 

 main until it is safe to put them into the gar- 

 den. With proper treatment while in the 

 coldframe, they can be hardened off and pre- 

 pared for the change to outdoor conditions, 

 thus greatly lessening the chances of failure, 

 which are considerable when plants are put 

 out directly from the hotbed. 



The coldframe is simply a frame of boards, 

 similar to that of the hotbed, set over a bed 

 of rich soil, and provided with a covering of 

 sash. This sash should be movable, so that 



