J. STECKLER SEED CO., LTD., ALMANAC AND 
THE 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. There 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 wocden frame from five to six 
‘feet wide and ten feet six inches long a 
‘very good size. 
six inches higher at the back than in the 
front, and covered by three sashes 344 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 
It should be at least | 
ground—that is, make a bank two feet 
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 aa- 
other layer of eighteen inches and 
trample down again; place thereon the 
frame and sash and fill in six inches of 
rood earth. After about five days stir 
the ground to kill the weeks which may 
have come up, ¢hen 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 
peneath the ground that the heat would 
be gone. Another advantage when the 
frame is put above the ground, is that it 
will go down with the manure gradually, 
and there remains always the same space 
between the glass and the ground. If 
tha 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 Wumber of Plants and 
Sew a Given Amount of Ground. 
\ 
Quantity | ” Quantity 
Per Acre. Per Acre. 
Artichoke) :1)'oz: te 500: plants... % lbs | Collards, 1 oz. to 2500 plants ..... 6 OZ 
Asparagus, 1 oz. to 200 plants..... 5lbs | Corn, sweet, 1 quart to 500 hills. 8 qts 
Barley . 4.246 5bpu.| Cress, t-encto ad 50-feet or drill. 8 lbs 
Beans, dwarf, 1 quart to 150 feet Cucumber, 1 oz to Si) bills . ye oak ty lbs 
OL TAT hs Gee ee NS cm ee 1% bu} Hee Plant, 1:0z) to’ 2000 plants. .7; °3 Oz 
‘Beans, Pole, 1 quart to 200 hills.. % bu | Endive, 1 oz. to 300 feet of drill... 31bs 
‘Beets, garden, 1 oz. to 100 feet of Klaxe Soreladeast Pirie Mien coe © % bu 
Cire. eis ay Obs Gourd, 1 oz. to 25 hills Bsa | Aes 2% bu 
‘Beets, Mangel, 1 OZ. to 150 feet of Grass, Kentucky Bile 2h Saas. ts 2 bu 
drill alee ARS oe ES EV ear a ae ae 6lbs | Grass, English or Perennial Rye.. 3 bu 
Brocccli, 1 Oz. to 3000 plants aN 5 oz | Grass, Hungarian and Millet ..... % bu 
TS POOM = CONTE visa chat ee Snch + SE ie eee LOdbs. | \Gmaiss, Mien (ai wares ei 5 1s orci acee 3 bu 
Brussels, Sprouts, 1 oz. ‘to 3000 | Grass, Orchard, Red Top, Tall 
plants cx 5 OZ Meadow Oat and Meadow 
PUIG WANG Rte cine (bee ei. de Dee oan, % bu MESCHAia oh Meg ween eter eat. 2 bu 
Cabbage, 1 oz. to 3000 plants pear 5 oz | Garlic, bulbs, 1 ‘Tb. ‘to 10 “feet One 
Carrots, 1 oz. to 250 feet of drill. 24% Ibs | [Ourada cere ce LUN Sey er nea ean 2 bu 
Cauliflower, 1e2z; to 3000 plants). 1b 307.) Prem p-. -. 3 & bu 
Celery, 1 oz. to 10,000 plants...... 4 oz Kale, 1 oz. to 3000 plants St Ae OZ 
Clover, Alsike and White Dutch.. 61bs Kohlr abi, 1 oz. to 200 feet of drill. a: lbs 
Clover, Large Red and Crimson Leek, 1 oz. to 250 feet of drill .. 4]bs 
Mreroile jee 5o* : 8lbs | Lettuce, 1 oz. to 250 feet of drill... 31bs 
Clover, Alfalfa or ‘Lucerne ke 30lbs | Melons, Musk, 1 oz. to 190 hills. .1%4 lbs 
@lover, Medium, sb 0h 2) Ss ete 101lbs | Melons. Wiater, 1 oz. to 25 hills...1% lbs 
Garden Hose and Reels All Lengths. 
