112 
HOT-BEDS. 
young gardener takes the trouble to keep an account of his 
transactions, he will soon make discoveries of still greater 
importance. If not sufficiently acquainted with the different 
varieties of Cabbage plants, for instance, so as to distinguish 
the one from the other, by making a memorandum at the 
time of sowing the seed he will soon get acquainted with the 
different varieties of plants ; he will also discover the differ- 
ence in the growing of his seed, and know who to blame if 
any particular kind should not come up. 
The following represents a Hot-bed with four sashes, sown 
March 1 : 
Early Dwarf, 
Early York, 
or other spring 
Cabbage Seed. 
Early Battersea, 
Drumhead, or 
other summer 
Cabbage Seed. 
Early Lettuce, 
Tomato Seed, 
Peppers, 
&c. in shallow 
drills. 
Egg-plant 
Seed, &c. 
partitioned off 
as directed in 
note to article 
Egg-plant. 
It may be necessary to remind my readers of the neces 
sity of being always prepared to sow Cabbage, Lettuce, To- 
mato, and Egg-plant seed in hot-beds the last week in Feb- 
ruary, or early in March; for this purpose, let some fresh 
stable dung and rich compost b6 engaged beforehand. Some 
gardeners make their beds on the level ground, but it is 
always safest to make them in pits from eighteen inches to 
two feet deep;* in order to do this, the pits should be dug 
* When durable heat is required for forcing vegetables, the beds should 
be made on level ground, in order that linings may be applied to the out- 
side of the frame, which, by frequent renewal, will enliven the heat of the 
bed, and thus bring tender vegetables to maturity, which would otherwise 
suffer from a decline of the heat. For particular directions, see Observa- 
tions on Forcing Vegetables ; also, article on Forcing Asparagus. 
