MONEY IN THE GARDEN FOR BOY AND GIRL WORKERS. 



49 



ital. Work slowly and carefully, using mental abil- 

 ities and physical strength, and you will succeed. 

 Begin as you can. If you cannot afford a hot-bed, 

 have a cold-frame. If even this is too expensive, 

 start your seeds in pans and boxes in "mother's 

 kitchen window." She surely will not object, if she 

 sees that her girl or boy is in earnest. 



Having determined to venture, let it be known 

 among your grown-up acquaintances that you will 

 be able to supply them with flower and vegetable 

 plants of certain kinds at the proper season. Im- 

 press upon their minds that you will aim to have nice, 

 sturdy plants of the best varieties, and at moderate 

 prices. Let them know you are in earnest and 

 mean business, and that you propose doing things 

 in a business-like manner. Have some order blanks 

 printed in the shape of a contract, something like 

 the following : 



r 



Goshen, N. V 



/<?. 



Master for Miss) J. Miller : 



You will please furnish iiie at the proper 

 time for planting, in April or May, the polloioing 

 named plants, for which I agree to pay you the prices 

 set opposite the respective articles, on delivery. 



(Signature of purchaser.) 



If you have a friend who owns a printing outfit, 

 engage him to do the work ; it will encourage him 

 and he may be able to send you customers for plants. 

 He will also probably order some of your plants. If 

 this cannot be done, you will probably be able to ar- 

 range with some other printer to do your work and 

 pay him in plants. 



Go among your friends and secure their orders 

 early. Get as many in advance of the season of 

 planting as possible, that you may be able to know- 

 somewhat of what must be done to fill orders. 



The formation of hot-beds and cold-frames is next 

 in the order of work. Let me explain the true differ- 

 ence between a cold-frame and a hot-bed, lest the 

 young worker get a wrong impression from the use 

 of the terms : 



A hot-bed, in brief, is a frame made of wood, C(3v- 

 ered with glass sash and heated either by flues run- 

 ning along the bottom under the earth or by a bot- 

 tom some inches deep of stable manure. A cold- 

 frame is exactly the same, except that it is given 

 no bottom heat. The impression is frequent that 

 a hot-bed must necessarily occupy a southern expo- 

 sure and a cold-frame a northern one. This is not 

 wholly true, for while a hot-bed is much better lo- 

 cated where the sun strikes it from the south, the 



location of a cold-frame depends entirely upon the 

 purpose for which it is to be used. 



If we desire to raise our young plants in a cold- 

 frame, we certainly do not want it located with a 

 northern exposure, for we must have the benefit of 

 all the sun possible to take the place of the bottom 

 heat we have in hot-beds. 



MAKING HOT-BEDS AND COLD-FRAMES. 



In making cold-frames we have the choice of two 

 methods. The first, that of making the frame to 

 set on the level of the ground, which is better when 

 the frame is to be used to further the growth of 

 plants transplanted from the seed-bed ; or we can 

 excavate the earth for a depth of two feet and use 

 our frame for keeping plants prepared for sale, or 

 for use in wintering over any plants we may wish to 

 keep. The frame should be of the size to accom- 

 modate the size of the sash, which is usually three 

 feet by six, and the back side should be six inches 

 higher than the front. This slope is necessary to 

 catch the rays of the sun to the best advantage, 

 and also to allow the water to run off. It is better 

 to have the bed run east and west, that is, the 

 front side on the south and the back side north. 

 This will give the rays of the sun directly on the 

 frame to the best advantage. If a cold-frame, and 

 built oil a level with the surface of the ground, from 

 six to nine inches of soil should be placed in it, into 

 which to transplant the young plants started in the 

 house, or to sow seeds of late spring plants. If 

 the young plants are put from the seed-bed into pots 

 and the pots placed in the cold-frame, little or no 

 earth will need to be put in the bed. 



In making a hot-bed, proceed as directed above, 

 except that the soil should be excavated to the depth 

 of eighteen inches, which space is afterward filled in 

 with manure. The best material for hot-beds is 

 horse manure. Select that which is as free from 

 coarse straw as possible, and throw it into a heap. 

 It should be turned o\'er two or three times to rid it 

 of the first intense heat. It should be spread in the 

 bottom of the pit and firmed down by treading upon 

 it until a compact mass some eighteen inches thick 

 is secured. Cover this manure with five or six inches 

 of light soil, and after the first heat has been thrown 

 off, we will be ready to sow the seed. Corn stalks 

 packed closely into the bottom of the pit will answer 

 the purpose instead of horse manure, which is simply 

 to produce heat. 



Be careful, and don't begin operations too soon. 

 In latitudes similar to New York city early in March 

 is soon enough to begin arranging the hot beds. 



