H O T 
* 
polyanthus, where there are . in fome varieties two 
petals. 
H O T-B EDS are of general ufe in thefe northern 
parts of Europe, without which we could not enjoy 
fo many of the products of warmer climes as we do 
how *, nor could we have the tables furnilhed with 
the fevers! products of the garden, during the winter 
and fpring months, as they are at prcfent in moft parts 
of England, better than perhaps in any other country 
in Europe : for although we cannot boaft of the cle- 
mency of our climate, yet England is better furnilhed 
with all forts of efculent plants for the table, much 
earlier in the feafon, and in greater quantities, than 
in the gardens of our neighbours, which is owing to 
our {kill in Hot-beds, 
The ordinary Hot- beds which are commonly ufed in 
the kitchen-gardens, are made with new horfe dung, 
in the following manner : 
i ft, There is a quantity of new horfe dung from the 
(table (in which there (hould be part of the litter or 
ftraw which is commonly ufed in the liable, but not 
in too great proportion to the dung,) the quantity of 
this mixture mult be according to the length of the 
bed intended •, which, if early in the year, ihould not 
be lefs than one good load for each light ; this dung 
Ihould be thrown up in a heap, mixing therewith a, 
few fea-coal alhes, fome leaves of trees, and tan, which 
will be of fervice to continue the heat of the clung •, it 
Ihould remain fix or feven days in this heap ; then it 
Ihould be turned over, and the parts well mixed toge- 
ther, and call into a heap again, where it may con- 
tinue five or fix days longer, by which time it will 
have acquired a due heat ; then in fome well flickered 
part of the garden, you mull dig a trench in length 
and width, proportionable to the frames you intend 
it for ; and if the ground be dry, about a foot deep ; 
but if wet, not above fix inches ; then wheel the dung 
into the opening, obferving to ftir every part of it 
With a fork, and lay it exalt ly even and fmooth thro’ 
every part of the bed ; as alfo to lay the bottom part 
of the heap (which is commonly free from litter) up- 
on the furface of the bed ; this will prevent the fteam 
from rifing fo plentifully as it would otherwife do. To 
prevent this, and the heat from rifing fo violently as 
to burn the roots of whatever plants are put into the 
ground, it will be a very good way to fpread a layer 
of neats dung all over the furface of the horfe dung, 
which will prevent the mould from burning : if the 
bed is intended for Cucumbers or Melons, the earth 
Ihould not be laid all over the bed at firft, only a hill 
of earth fiiould be firft laid in the middle of each light 
on which the plants fiiould be planted, and the re- 
maining fpace Ihould be filled up from time to time 
as the roots of the plants fpread •, but this is fully 
explained under thole two articles. But if the hot- 
bed is intended for other plants, then after the bed 
is well prepared, it Ihould be left two or three days 
for the fteam to pafs off, before the earth is laid upon 
the dung. 
In the making of thefe hot-beds, it muff be carefully 
obferved to fettle the dung clofe with a fork •, and 
if it be full of long litter, it {hould be equally trod 
down clofe in every part, otherwife it will be fubjed 
to heat too violently, and confequently the heat will 
be much fooner fpent, which is one of the greateft 
dangers thefe fort of beds may be liable to. During 
the firft week or ten days after the bed is made, you 
Should cover the glaffes but (lightly in the night, and 
in the day time carefully raife them to let out the 
fteam, which is fubjedt to rife very copioufly while the 
dung is frefh ; but as the heat abates, fo the cover- 
in'? Ihould be increafed ; otherwife the plants in the 
beds twill be (tinted in their growth, if not entirely 
tieftr oyed. In order to remedy this evil, if the bed be 
very cold, you mult put a pretty good quantity of 
new hot dung round the Tides of it, which will add a 
frefn heat thereto, and caufe it to continue a confidera- 
bie time after ; and as the fpring advances, the fun 
will fupply the lofs of the dung’s heat; but then it 
will be advifeable to lay fome mowings of Grafs round 
H O T 
the jades of the. bed, efpecially if the nights (hould 
prove cold, as it often happens in May, which is many 
times, even at that feafon, very hurtful to tender 
plants on Hot-beds. 
But although the Hot-bed I have defcribed is what 
the kitchen-gardeners commonly ufe, yet thofe made 
with tanners bark are much preferable, efpecially far 
all tender exotic plants or fruits, which require an 
even degree of warmth to be continued for feveral 
months, which is what cannot be effected by horfe 
dung only. The manner of making thefe beds is as 
follows : 
There mud be a trench dug in the earth about three 
feet deep, if the ground be dry ; but if wet, it mult 
not be above a foot or fix inches deep at moft, and 
muft be raifed in proportion above ground, fo as to 
admit of the tan being laid three feet thick. The 
length muft be proportioned to the frames intended 
to cover it, but (hould never be lefs than eleven or 
twelve feet •, but if it is twice that length it will be 
better, and the width not Ids than fix, which is the 
lead (ize of thefe beds for to continue the heat. This 
trench (hould be bricked up round the ftdes to the 
above-mentioned height of three feet, paving the bot- 
tom with bricks to prevent the earth mixing with the 
tan, and (hould be filled in the fpring with frefh tan- 
ners bark (i. e. fuck as the tanners have lately drawn 
out of their vats, after they have ufed it for tanning 
leather) which (hould be laid in a round heap for a 
week or ten days before it is put into the trench, that 
the moifture may the better drain out of it, which, if 
detained in too great a quantity, will prevent its fer- 
mentation ; then put it into the trench, and gently 
beat it down equally with a dung-fork ; but it muft 
not be trodden, which would alfo prevent its heating, 
by fettling it too clofe ; then you muft put on the 
frame over the bed, covering it with the glaffes, and 
in about ten days or a fortnight it will begin to heat ; 
at which time you may plunge your pots of plants 
or feeds into it, obferving not to tread down the 
bark in doing it. 
A Bed thus prepared (if the bark be new and not 
ground too fmall) will continue in a good temper of 
warmth for two or three months ; and when you find 
the heat decline, if you ftir up the bark again pretty 
deep, and mix a load or two of frefh bark anionglfc 
the old, it will caufe it to heat again, and preferve its 
warmth two or three months longer. There are many 
people who lay fome hot horfe dung in the bottom of 
the trench, under the bark, to caufe it to heat ; but 
this is what I would never praflife, unlefs I wanted the 
bed looner than the bark would heat of itfelf, and then 
I would put but a fmall quantity of dung at bottom, 
for that is fubjeCt to make it heat too violently, and 
will occafion its lofingthe heat fooner than ordinary; 
and there will never be any danger of the bark’s heat- 
ing if it be new, and not put into the trench too wet, 
though it may lometimes be a fortnight or more be- 
fore it acquires a fufficient warmth, but then the heat 
will be more equal and lading.. 
The frames which cover thefe Beds fliould be propor- 
tioned to the feveral plants they are defigned to con- 
tain : for example, if they are to cover the Ananas or 
Pine-apple, the back part of the frame fliould be three 
feet and a half high, and the lower part fifteen inches, 
which will be a fufficient declivity to carry off the wet; 
and the back fide will be high enough to contain the 
large fruiting plants, and the lower fide will be fuffi- 
cient for the (horteft plants ; fo that by placing them 
regularly according to their height, they will not only 
have an equal cfiftance from the glades, but alfo ap- 
pear much handfomer to the fight. And although 
many people make their frames deeper than what I 
have allotted, yet I am fully perfuaded, that where 
thefe is but height enough to' contain the plants, with- 
out' bruifiug their leaves, it is much better than to al- 
low a larger fpace ; for the deeper the frame is made, 
the lefs will be the heat of the air inclofed therein, 
there being no artificial warmth but what the bark 
affords, which will not heat a large fpace of air ; and 
as 
