D. M. FERRY & GO'S DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 11 



THE FRAME.- This may be made of sound one-inch lumber, the back twelve to fourteen inches high, 

 the front ten to twelve. It should be well fitted to the sash so as to leave as little opening as possible and yet 

 allow the sash to be easily slid up and down, even when the frame is quite wet. 



THE SOIL> — This should be light, rich, friable. Any considerable amount of clay in it is very objection- 

 able. If possible, it should be quite dry and unfrozen when put into the bed; for this reason it is much better to 

 prepare it the fall before and cover the pile with enough coarse manure or straw to keep out frost. 



MAKING THE BED.— This requires careful attention, as future success depends largely upon the 

 manner in which this work is done. Having cleared away all snow and ice, build a rectangular bed one foot larger 

 each way than the frame to be used, carefully shaking out and spreading each forkful, and repeatedly treading down 

 the manure so as to make the bed as uniform as possible in solidity, composition and moisture; unless this is done, 

 one portion will heat quicker than the others, and the soil will settle unevenly, making it impossible to raise good 

 plants. The proper depth of the bed will vary with the climate, season, and the kind of plants to be raised. A 

 shallow bed will give a quick sharp heat and soon subside; a deeper one, if well made, will heat more moderately 

 but continue much longer. For general purposes, a bed one and a half to two feet deep will be best. 



The bed completed, the frame and sash may be put on, and fresh manure carefully packed around the outside 

 to the very top (if the weather is at all severe, this outside banking should be replenished as it settles I. The bed 

 should then be allowed to stand with the sash partially open for a day or two to allow the steam and rank heat to 

 pass off. The earth should then be put on and carefully leveled. Care should be taken that the soil is dry and 

 friable. If wet or frozen soil must be used, it should be placed in small piles until well dried out before spreading. 

 The heat at first will be quite violent, frequently rising to 120 , but it soon subsides, and when it recedes to 90 the 

 seed may be planted. The importance of using dry soil and allowing the first rank heat to pass off is very great. 

 Every season thousands of hot-beds fail of good results from these causes, and seedsmen are blamed for failure 

 resulting from over heat or wet, soggy soil. 



M ANAGEMENT OE XHE BED.— The essentials for success are a steady, uniform degree of heat 

 and moisture; keeping the soil at all times a few degrees warmer than the air. and the careful " hardening off " 

 (by exposure to the air and diminishing the supply of water) of the plants before transplanting into the open air. 

 Simple as these seem to be. there are many difficulties in the way of securing them, prominent among which are 

 overheating the air under a bright sun. Without experience one would scarcely believe how quickly the tempera- 

 ture inside of a well built hot-bed will rise to 90 or 100 degrees upon a still, sunny day, even when the tempera- 

 ture outside is far below freezing, or how quickly the temperature will fall to that outside, if upon a windy, cloudy 

 day the sash is left open ever so little; besides, such a rush of cold air driven over the plants is far more injurious 

 than the same temperature when the air is still. Again, a bed will go several days without watering when kept 

 closed during cloudy weather, but will dry up in an hour when open on a sunny day. The details of manage- 

 ment, however, must be learned by experience, but may easily be acquired by one who gives the matter careful 

 attention, keeping constantly in mind the essentials given above. 



A COED FRAME is a simple construction of boards for wintering cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, 

 brocoli, etc., for planting out early in the spring. 



Select a dry, southern exposure; form a frame from four to six feet wide and as long as required. The back 

 should be fourteen and the front six inches high, with a cross tie every three feet. Seeds of the above named vege- 

 tables, sown in open border early in September, will be ready to plant in cold frames about the last of October. 

 The soil should be well prepared and smoothly raked before planting. Admit air freely on all pleasant days, but 

 keep close in severe weather. 



These frames are particularly useful at the south, and may be covered more cheaply with cloth shades than by 

 sash. The shades are made as follows: Make light but strong wooden frames to fit over the bed, and of a width to 

 receive some common brand of cotton cloth. The cloth may be unbleached, and should be stretched over and 

 securely tacked to the frames. Coating the cloth with oil. as is sometimes recommended, we find is of no advan- 

 tage, but we have found the Plant Bed Cloth prepared by the U. S. Waterproofing Fiber Co., of New York, to be 

 superior to ordinary c'oth for this purpose. 



SHADES.— At the south it is frequently desirable to shade beds of seedlings. This can best be done by 

 shades made as follows: Make light frames the length of the width of your bed and four feet wide; to these tack 

 common lath so as to leave from one to three inches between them. Support them about eight inches above the 

 plants by tacking the frames to short stakes or securing them by easily removed pins. They are more effective if 

 the beds are so placed that the lath will run north and south. 



TRANSPLANTING.-ln transplanting, the main points to be regarded are. care in taking up the 

 plants so as to avoid injury to the roots, planting firmly so as to enable the plant to take a secure hold of the soil, 

 reducing the top to prevent evaporation, and shading to prevent the hot sun from withering and blighting the leaves. 

 In transplanting from a hot-bed. harden the plants by letting them get quite dry a day or two before, but give an 

 abundance of water a fe-v hours before they are taken out. It is most apt to be successful if done just at evening, 

 or immediately before or during the first part of a rain, about the worst time being just after a rain, when the 

 ground being wet it is impossible to sufficiently press it about the plant without its baking hard. If water is used 

 at all, it should be used freely and the wet surface immediately covered with dry soil. 



WATERING. — The best time to water plants is at sunrise or just at evening, and always use rain water 

 when it is to be had. If well water is to be used it should be exposed to the sun until it is of the temperature of the 

 air, before it is applied. Water may be given to the roots at any time, but should never be sprinkled over the leaves 

 in the hot sun, for it will make them blister and cover them with brown spots wherever it touches. If watering a 

 plant has been commenced, keep on until the necessity ceases, or more injury than good will result from it; one 

 copious watering is better than a little and often. The use of the hoe should always follow the watering pot as 

 soon as the ground becomes dry. 



