HOME VEGETABLE GARDENING 
work requires some experience and special study and is 
the most important factor in hotbed management. 
After the manure reaches a uniform heat, it should 
be packed tightly into the subframe, paying particular 
attention to it that it is tramped well around sides and 
into corners. On top of the manure are placed from four 
to six inches of rich, finely sifted soil. It is then left to 
stand for several days, or until the soil temperature goes 
down to ninety degrees or less, depending on what you 
intend to raise. Seeds may then be sown. 
The two most important factors in managing a hotbed 
are regular watering and timely ventilation. Without 
ample water the heat in the hotbed, retained by the glass 
sash, will burn up the plants. Without ventilation, the 
plants will grow spindly, weak, and be ill-fitted to undergo 
subsequent transplanting. 
Hotbeds are generally dug and prepared in the fall, 
filled with manure in mid-winter, and pressed into actual 
service some time in February. However, all depends on 
where you live and what you want to grow. 
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