AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
53 
Hot Beds, and How to make them. 
The present month is a suitable time to make 
early hot beds, especially at the South. For or¬ 
dinary purposes, in this latitude and further North, 
the first or middle of March is early enough. Six 
or eight weeks from the time of sowing, ordinarily 
bring forward plants to a suitable size for trans¬ 
planting, and it is well to make the bed about two 
months before the season will be likely to admit of 
putting plants into the open ground. Various plans 
are adopted, and various fermenting materials used 
in constructing these beds. Some prefer excavat¬ 
ing the earth, and sinking the beds; others, build 
wholly on the surface. One uses spent tan, or 
dried leaves, to produce the requisite heat; another, 
selects coarse stable litter alone. If a gentle, long 
continued warmth, is desired, the leaves or tan are 
suitable materials; but, if an active heat is desired, 
stable litter, or litter mixed with leaves are neces¬ 
sary. 
To meet the wants of the farmer or the young 
gardener constructing a hot-bed for the first time, 
we will be as explicit as brevity will admit. Every 
one has noticed the smoky steam rising from a heap 
of 'manure thrown from a horse stable. This is a 
hot-bed , but too violent in its action, and without 
the needed covering of earth for the roots of 
plants, or the frame to protect them from outside 
frosts. 
In the upper part of the engraving above 
we have the manure taken to the garden as a 
more suitable place for the bed. There we have 
the heap of fermenting material upon which is 
placed a wooden frame, like the following cut. 
This is, say twelve feet long, more or less, five feet 
wide, one foot high in front, and two feet upon the 
back. This frame is best made of pine planks, one- 
and a half «r two inches thick. Where two planks 
in height are used, they should be grooved together, 
to prevent any escape of heat between them. The 
side pieces may either slip down between up¬ 
right cleats upon the end pieces, or be hooked or bolt¬ 
ed to them so that the whole may be taken apart 
and stored awa„v when not in use. 
The bed may be as long as desired, placing se¬ 
veral frames together if one is not sufficient. The ends 
shouldbe the thickness of the sash higher than the 
sides, with one half rabbeted out for the sash to fit 
olosely in and slide upon. 
Cross pieces should be fitted between each two 
sashes, and rabbetted out like the ends, to allow 
each sash to slide up and down independently of the 
others. 
The sides of the frame should be bevelled off so 
that the sash will fit closely, and every precaution 
used to retain the heat given out by the fermenting 
heap beneath. 
The sashes are usually made by sash makers, 
with a strong outer frame and middle rails running 
lengthwise only, that the water may run oft freely. 
Where glazed coverings cannot easily be obtain¬ 
ed, oiled cotton cloth may be tacked to frames 
which slide up and down, like the sash. Or a cover 
for the whole bed may be hung by 
means of hinges upon the upper side. 
The cloth covering is only to be used 
where glass is procured with difficulty. 
THE BED. 
Choose a dry situation, sheltered 
upon the North by evergreens, or 
buildings, or by a tight fence. Make 
the bed upon the surface, running East 
and West, and about one foot larger 
each way than the frame which is to 
be set upon it. 
The smoking heap of horse manure 
is our most convenient material, al¬ 
though, if dry forest leaves are at hand 
they may be mixed in, using one-third 
leaves to two-thirds manure. If the 
manure is strawy no matter, and if it 
has heated once before, it will ferment 
again. Make into a heap about four 
feet high, shaking it over with the fork 
and beating, but not treading it down 
as you proceed. Level it off and put on the frame 
and sash, fronting the South, and leave for a week 
to settle and generate heat 
After six or eight days the mass will be in an ac¬ 
tive state of fermentation, shown in part by the 
rank steam arising, and by the coating of moisture 
on the glass. This is a proper time to cover with 
earth, leveling if necessary. Dry, rich loam, saved 
under cover for the purpose, is the best, but good 
garden soil will answer, only be sure it is dry. 
Five or six inches of soil is a medium thickness for 
this covering. Rake it over finely, leaving the sur¬ 
face smooth and level. Put on the box and sash, 
and examine the earth dailv, and when a moderate, 
uniform temperature is shown, which is usually in 
two or three days, the seeds may be put in. 
If the heat at any time appears too great, raise 
the upper part of the. sashes for a few inches, that 
the external air may cool it. If the warmth is 
not sufficient, bank up the sides and ends with fer¬ 
menting manure, which will tend to heat the whole 
mass. During very cold or snowy weather cover 
the whole with straw, or mats, or boards, and 
shovel away the snow as soon as the storm is 
over. 
After the plants show themselves, a moderate 
airing should be given the bed each day, unless the 
weather is freezing. During very mild weather 
the sashes may be slid entirely off, closing at an 
early hour in the afternoon. Especially do plants 
need this airing after they have thrown out the 
second and third leaves, and are nearly ready to 
transplant. A neglect of a single hot day will 
often scald and seriously injure them. Previous to 
transplanting give the bed a good watering to 
to make the earth adhere to the roots. Water at 
other times as needed, or the sashes may be left eft 
during a warm rain. 
Some More Pumpkins. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist 
* * * But I must tell you about a Mammoth 
Pumpkin raised by one of our neighbors up here. 
The seed was sent to h im by one of his relatives 
in France. He planted some of them in what was 
formerly the bed of an old pig pen From one 
seed he raised four hundred pounds of pumpkins ; 
the smallest weighing 75 pounds, and the largest, 
150 pounds. This may seem nothing to you, hut 
I tell you it looks big up here, in this corner of the 
world, 
W. F. J. 
Redding, Fairfield Co., Conn. 
The Pea Nut — Arachis hypogaa. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
This nut is a native of South America. It was 
formerly used, in the West Indies, as a food foi 
negroes, and is now raised for exportation, as it 
is particularly useful to the frequenters of the 
theatre, opera, and such places. 
The plant is an annual; its flowers are of the 
pea kind, and their color is yellow. The petals of 
the flower fall off and an oval pod appears, 
“ which is pushed into the ground by a natura 
motion of the stalk, and there it is matured 
Thus it seems that the idea that the nuts are the 
roots of the plant is erroneous ; they are the seal 
One bushel of them will make a gallon of i d, 
which is excellent for soap.” J. H. T 
Cambridgeport, Mass. 
Note .—The pea nut is shown above as grow mg 
in a pot. We believe it is seldom or never culti¬ 
vated in this way—certainly not, except as a mat¬ 
ter of curiosity. The vines usually run close 
along the ground, from which the seed stems shoot 
down into the soil as here shown, but not so fat 
below the surface as those represented in the en¬ 
graving.— Ed.] 
