26 



J. STECKLER SEED CO., LTD., ALMANAC AND 



THIS HOT BED 



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 Pep- 

 pers. Taere is little forcing of vegeta- 

 bles done here, except as regards Cucum- 

 bers and Lettuce; and if we do not have 

 any hard frosts, the latter does better in 

 the open ground than under glass. To 

 make a hot bed is a very simple thing. 

 Any one who has the use of tools can 

 make the wooden frame, the sashes can 

 be obtained from any sash factory. We 

 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^/2 x 

 5 feet. The manure ought not to be 

 more than a month old; it should be 

 thrown together in a heap, and when 

 commencing to heat, be worked over 

 with a fork, and 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 long time, 

 it is best to put the manure on top of the 



I ground — that is, make a bank tv\'o feet 

 I longer and two feet wider than the frame. 

 Keep the edges straight and the cor- 

 ners firm; when thrown up about 

 eighteen inches trample the manure 

 down to six or eight inches, then put an- 

 other 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 

 i^e ground to kill the weeds which may 

 have come up, then sow the seeds. In 

 lower Louisiana the ground is too wet to 

 dig out eighteen inches deep, throw in 

 the manure and trample down as recom- 

 mended in the North; by a few hard 

 rains, such as we frequently have in win- 

 ter, the manure would become so soaked 

 oeneath the ground that the heat would 

 be gone. Another advantage, when the 

 frame is put above the ground, is that it 

 Vvdll 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 

 so low after a short time that the sun 

 will have little effect upon it, and plants 

 will become spindly. 



Seeds Requisite to Produce a Given ffambes:' of Plants and 

 slow a G-iven Amount of Crroiiid. 



Quantity 

 Per Acre. 



Artichoke, 1 oz. to 500 p.lants 14 lbs 



Asparagus, 1 oz. to 200 plants 5 lbs 



Barley 2i^ bu 



Beans, dwarf, 1 quart to 150 feet 



of drill 114 bu 



Beans, Pole, 1 quart to 200 hills. 



72 



bu 



^eets, garden, 1 oz. to 100 feet of 



drill 10 lbs 



Beet. Mangel, 1 oz. to 150 feet of 



drill 6 lbs 



Broccoli, 1 oz. to 3000 plants 5 oz 



Broom Corn 10 lbs 



Brussels Sprouts, 1 oz. to 3000 



plants 5 oz 



Buckwheat i^ bu 



Cabbage, 1 oz. to 3000 plants 5 oz 



Carrot^, 1 oz. to 250 feet of drill. .2 1^ lbs 

 Cauliflower, 1 oz. to 3000 plants.. 5 oz 



Celery, x oz. to 10,000 plants 4 oz 



Clover, Alsike and White Dutch.. Gibs 

 Clover, Large Red and Crimson 



Trefoil 8 lbs 



Clover Alfalfa or Lucerne 30 lbs 



Clover, Medium 10 lbs 



Quantity 

 Per Acre. 



Collards, 1 oz. to 2500 plants 6 oz 



Corn, sweet, 1 quart to 500 hills. . . 8 qts 



Cress, 1 oz. to 150 feet of drill 8 lbs 



Cucumber, 1 oz. to 80 hills 1^4 lbs 



Egg Plant, 1 oz. to 2000 plants 3 oz 



Endive, 1 oz. to 300 feet of drill. . . 3 lbs 



i" lax, broadcast % bu 



Gourd, 1 oz. to 25 hills 2^^ bu 



Grass, Kentucky Blue 2 bu 



Grass, English or Perennial Rye.. 3 bu 



Grass, Hungarian and Millet V2 bu 



Grass, Mixed Lawn 3 bu 



Grass, Orchard, Red Top, Tall 

 Meadow Oat and Meadow 



Fescue 2 bu 



Garlic, bulbs, 1 lb. to 10 feet of 



drill 2 bu 



Hemp 1/^ bu 



Kale, 1 oz. to 3000 plants 4 oz 



Kohlrabi, 1 oz. to 200 feet of drill. .IVz lbs 



Leek, 1 oz. to 250 feet of drill 4 lbs 



Lettuce, 1 oz. to 250 feet of drill.. 3 lbs 

 Melons, Musk, 1 oz. to 100 hills.. 1% lbs 

 Melons, Water, 1 oz. to 25 hills. . .II/2 lbs 



Garden Hose and Reels All Lengths. 



