4 D. M. FERRY & CO., DETROIT, MICH. 
in? akin the Bed This requires careful attention, as 
q future success depends largely upon 
the manner in which this work isdone. Having cleared away 
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 solid- 
ity, composition and moisture. It is of the wtmost impor- 
tance that this shaking apart and evenly pressing down of the 
manure should be carefully and thoroughly done; unless it is, 
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, sea- 
son, 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 about 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 Gf the weather is at all severe, this outside banking should 
be replenished as it settles). 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 earefully 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 degrees; but it soon subsides, and when it recedes 
to 90 degrees 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 fail- 
ure resulting from overheat, or wet, soggy soil. 
Management : 
OF the Bed = = form depres of 
heat and moisture; keeping the soil 
at all times a few degrees warmer 
than the air, and the careful *‘hard- 
ening off’? (by exposure to the air 
and diminishing the supply of water) 
of the plants before transplanting 
into the open air. Simple as these 
may seem to be, there are many diffi- 
culties in the way of securing them, 
prominent among which are over- 
heating the air under a bright sun. 
Without experience one would 
scarcely believe how quickly the tem- 
perature inside of a well-built hot-bed 
will rise to 90 or 100 degrees upon a 
still, sunny day, even when the tem- 
perature outside is far below freez- 
ing, or how quickly the temperature 
will fall to that outside, if upon a 
windy, cloudy day the sash is left 
open ever so little. A rush of.cold 
air driven over the plants is far more 
injurious than the same temperature 
when the air is still. Again, in cloudy 
weather, a bed will go several days 
without watering, but will dry up in 
an hour when open on a sunny day. 
The details of management, however, 
must be learned by experience, but 
may be easily acquired by one who 
gives the matter careful attention, 
keeping constantly in mind the es- 
sentials given above. 
is a simple 
1, | Gold Frame construction 
of boards for wintering over young 
plants, Cabbage, Lettuce, Cauliflow- 
er, Brocoli, ete., and is also extreme- 
ly useful to protect and harden off 
plants from the greenhouse or hot- 
bed before fully exposing them in 
The essentials 
for success are 
These frames are particularly useful in 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 com- 
mon brand of cotton cloth. The cloth may be unbleached, 
and should be stretched over and securely tacked to the frames. 
We have found that Plant-Bed Cloth, which we have for sale, 
is superior to any ordinary cloth for this purpose. 
In transplanting, the main points to be 
Cransplanting 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 trans- 
planting 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 few 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. 
WwW aterin The best time to water plants is between sun- 
q set and sunrise. Water may be given to the 
roots at any time, but should never be sprinkled over the 
leaves while they are exposed to bright sunshine. If watering 
a plant has been commenced, keep on until the necessity 
ceases, or more injury than good will result from it; one co- 
pious watering is better than a little and often. The ground 
should always be stirred with the hoe or rake as soon after 
watering as it can be done without making the soil muddy. 
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the open air. 
Select a dry, southern exposure, 
form aframe from four to six feet 
wide and as long as required. The 
back should be fourteen to eighteen 
inches high, and the front eight to 
twelve, with a cross-tie every three 
feet. The frame may be covered with 
sash or cloth. Seeds of the vege- 
tables to be wintered 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 
pleasant days, but keep close in sev- 
ere weather. 
6é 
OUR SEED WAREHOUSE 8B”? 85 X 140 FEET. 
