R2 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
The Family Garden Hot-Bed. 
■ 
But few except professional gardeners have 
hot-beds, and doubtless a great majority of the 
readers of the Agriculturist start all their veget- 
ables in the open ground, thinking that a hot- 
bed involves too much trouble aud expense. This 
is much less than is generally supposed, while by 
the use of one, the choice products of the garden 
niay be had several weeks earlier than without 
it, and the season of enjoying them may thus 
be prolonged. If it is not worth some time and 
trouble to secure this, thea we advise our read- 
ers to let the hot-bed alone ; but if they set the 
same estimate upon garden vegetables that we 
do, they will have some contrivance to start 
them early. A hot-bed consists of a heap of 
fermenting manure or other materials as a source 
of heat, over this a few inches of earth to re- 
ceive the seeds, and the whole covered by a 
glazed box to retain the heat, and at the same 
time to let in light. "We have seen a rude box 
covered with old window sash made to serve a 
good purpose, and any one with a little mechan- 
ical skill can get up some contrivance which 
will answer the conditions mentioned above. 
When sash are to be made or bought, those 5 
or 6 feet long, and wide enough to hold 4 rows 
of 7x9, or 5 rows of 6x8 glass, will be found to 
be of convenient size. The bars for holding the 
glass run lengthwise only, and the ends of the 
panes lap about a fourth of an inch. The glass 
is fastened in with points and putty in the usual 
manner, and the frame well painted. A f inch 
iron rod put across the sash at the middle, and 
secured by nuts, "will add much to its strength. 
The frame should be of stout plank, about one 
foot high in front, and two feet high at the rear, 
with end pieces of proper slope; crossbars 
should run from the front to the rear of the 
frame for the sash to slide upon, and the upper 
edges of the front and rear be bevelled to make a 
close fit. The size of the frame will of course 
depend upon the length and number of sashes 
to be used. The common heating material is 
manure from the horse stable ; if an equal bulk 
of forest leaves can be mixed with it, all the 
better. The manure is placed in a heap near 
where it will be needed, aud turned over at 
intervals of a few days until it begins to 
heat. The place for the hot-bed should be a 
dry one, and selected with a view to easy access, 
in order that it may receive the proper attention 
without too much trouble. The lower edge, or 
front of the bed, should face the south. Drive 
down stakes to mark the corners of a space 18 
inches larger each way than the frame, and then 
spread the manure over, and build it up by 
layers so as to distribute it evenly and have all 
xne parts equally compact. In putting on the 
manure, all hard lumps should be beaten out, 
and the pile occasionally beaten with the back 
ot the fork to make it tolerably compact. Care 
will be required to keep the corners filled out, 
and the sides square. Finish off by shoveling 
up the fine manure and spreading it evenly over 
the top. The pile when finished should be at 
least 2 feet high, and it is often made 2i or 
3 feet high. There need be no fear of wasting 
the manure, for after it has served its purpose 
in the hot-bed, it is in the best passible condi- 
tion for any farm or garden crop. Place the 
frame upon the manure and put into it rich 
mould to the depth of six inches, aud rake it off 
smooth. Put on the sash and leave the bed 
a few days for the heat to rise. At first the 
heat will be too violent, and the sash will need 
to be raised during the day to let the excess es- 
cape. When the temperature of the earth mod- 
erates to 60° or 70°, the seeds may he sown in 
rows running across the bed. Peppers, tomatoes 
and egg plants should be under the same sash, 
as they are more tender than cabbages, lettuce, 
etc., and require more care in airing. For cu- 
cumbers, melons, early squashes, and Lima 
beans, get some thick sod and cut it into pieces 
about 3 inches square. These are put bottom 
side up and a few seeds put in each piece. 
When the transplanting season arrives, the 
plants may be removed without disturbing the 
roots, as the sod is set in the ground with the 
plants. Shade the glass until the plants are 
well up. To prevent injury from the heat of 
the sun, the bed should be ventilated during 
mid-day, by lifting the rear end of the sash and 
putting a piece of board cut like a long wedge 
under it. The plants should have air whenever 
it can be given without cooling the bed too 
much. Close the sashes before the air begins 
to cool at night, and if the nights are cold, 
cover with shutters or mats. Give water as 
needed, first bringing it to the temperature of 
the bed by adding hot water. Remove weeds 
as they appear, and keep the earth between the 
rows from getting hard, by occasionally stirring 
with a knife or pointed stick. The time for 
starting the bed will depend upon the climate ; 
as a general rule, it is about six weeks before 
the plants can be safely put into the open ground. 
— . >=a*B» *-» 
Notes and Queries on Grape Culture. 
Many of the queries recently received have 
already been anticipated by articles published in 
the four or five preceding numbers, and others 
will be answered in the Calendar of Operations 
at the proper season. Persons about to plant 
this spring, ask about varieties : space will not 
allow the repetition of the notes given on pages 
325 and 338, of the Agriculturist of November last. 
We can briefly say, that while we admit that 
the Delaware, under proper cultivation, gives 
the best fruit of any of the generally tested vines, 
we consider that the Concord, on account of its 
vigorous growth, abundant bearing, and the size 
and beauty of its fruit, possesses a greater num- 
ber of elements of popularity than any other 
grape now before the public. Several corre- 
spondents are at a loss to reconcile the opinion 
we have given of the Concord, with the low es- 
timate placed upon it by Dr. C. W. Grant, in 
his catalogue. A gentleman in Iowa writes : 
"...Now if Dr. Grant is right, every one else is 
wrong about the Concord. Will you please in- 
form us about it?" As an individual opinion, 
drawn from experience in his own locality, Dr. 
Grant's statements in regard to varieties are en- 
titled to a certain amount of weight. With re- 
spect to the Concord, we have Warder, Hus- 
mann aud Knox, and others, perhaps quite as 
well known to the horticultural world as Dr. 
Grant, who really believe that it is the best 
grape for general cultivation, and as this agrees 
with our own views, we say so without caring 
to reconcile the difference between Dr. Grant, 
and " every one else." The Indiana Pomologi- 
cal Society at a recent meeting, passed a vote 
saying : " While we regard the Delaware and 
Catawba as better in quality, we recommend 
the Concord as the best single variety for the 
million." Our western friends are enthusias- 
tic over the Concord, and it seems to be even 
more esleemed at the West than it is at the East. 
At tlie 10th annual meeting of the Fruit 
Growers' Society of Western New York, the 
president, S. H. Ainsworth, Esq., devoted his 
annual address to the culture of the Grape. In 
speaking of the profit of the different varieties, 
he says : " The Concord, from my observation 
and experience, will produce fully as many, if 
not more pounds to the acre, than the Isabella, 
and commands at present a higher price in 
market. My crop last fall yielded at the rate of 
11,200 pounds to the aare, and sold at home at 
10 cents a pound. At this rate, the crop from 
an acre would be worth $1,120,— say it cost $60 
an acre to grow and pick them. This would 
leave a net profit of $1,060 an acre. This vari- 
ety was sold last fall at retail in our large cities 
as high as three shillings a pound " J. W. 
Cone, of Litchfield Co., Conn., says that the 
Adirondac with him is a thrifty grower, and 
very hardy, and that his vines never lost a 
leaf until the frost killed them. 
Plant Quinces. 
A correspondent writes to the American 
Agriculturist in favor of the quince, a fruit 
which is very valuable, but which is gener- 
ally neglected. It is usually stuck in some 
out of the way corner, and the fruit is taken 
without our giving any return in the way of 
care. Quinces always bring a high price in the 
market, and the supply is never equal to the 
demand. A tree which is so profitable when 
neglected, will repay care in cultivation, and we 
advise our readers not only to plant quinces., but 
to take care of them afterward. The Orange 
or Apple quince is one of the best known vari- 
eties, and is greatly superior to the Pear quince. 
Rea's Seedling is a comparatively new variety 
derived from the Orange. It is said to be a vig- 
orous grower and to bear well, giving fruit of 
a superior quality. The Portugal is another 
highly esteemed variety. — The quince may be 
propagated by layers or cuttings as described 
on page 49 (February). Cuttings give the best 
plants and can be readily raised if the directions 
referred to are followed. Though the quince 
will succeed tolerably in almost any soil not too 
dry or too stiff, it does much better in a light, 
rich, and rather moist one, and in good cultiva- 
tion it should have a dressing of manure every 
fall. Generally the tree is left to grow without 
any training, and it makes an unsightly bush, 
with long twisted branches. With a little care 
it may be grown as a standard with a trunk of 
two or three feet high. In order to get a good 
head the young tree is planted where it is to 
stand and allowed to grow a year. The next 
spring it is cut down to within 18 inches of the 
ground, and the strongest of several shoots 
which push, is selected for the trunk, and the oth 
ers rubbed off. This shoot is kept tied to a 
stake and the second spring it is shortened some- 
what, and the side shoots cut back to a few inch- 
es. By treating the stem in this w T ay, it will in 
two or three years get strong enough to be self- 
supporting, when the upper branches may be 
allowed to grow and form a head ; all others 
are to be removed, and suckers and side shoots ■ 
cut away whenever they appear. After the 
head is well established, but little pruning is re 
quired, except to remove cross shoots and weak 
ones. The trees may be set 10 or 12 feet apart 
