a Practical Hotted on the Farm 
ied for occurs even below the sash of the cold frame, while planted at this time. 
'!• 'hard bottom heat from the hotbed keeps the plants 7 
about from injury. Prepared mats made of burlap stuffed 
a. l. with waste are used to cover the sash on nights 
when the temperature drops exceedingly low. 
asks a CONSTRUCTION.—A. L. suggests 6x10 ft. as the 
dimensions of his hotbed, hut as they are governed 
row an acre of by the size of the sash (6x3 ft.) the dimensions 
As the temperature drops to from 
0 to SO degrees seeds of the early crops, such as 
lettuce, endive, radishes and the like, can he planted. 
At this time we also plant early cabbage and cauli¬ 
flower for transplanting into the garden. When 
mature we always harvest the plants from the center 
of each sash first and plant a few melon seeds. As 
the melon plants grow the other early vegetables 
are harvested, until in time they occupy 
the entire hotbed. By this time the 
cold nights are passed and the melons 
are allowed to occupy the space the 
1 c remainder of the season. 
to STARTING THE CROPS.—Toma- 
%&/’//// toes and peppers are started in the 
'' ' greenhouse iu flats here, while many 
farm housewives start plants iu cigar 
boxes in windows. I know of one en¬ 
terprising youth who practically paid his college 
expenses by starting these tender jjlants at home, 
putting them near the stove on freezing nights. As 
the weather moderated the boxes were shifted to 
hotbeds, and then sold in a neighboring town of S00 
population. We dispose of about $300 worth of 
early plants from our 22 sashes, fully half going to 
the farmers in the surrounding territory. Besides 
melons and pansies for a Summer crop, 
we also grow celery in the hotbeds, and 
this crop alone pays for the bother of 
filling the hotbeds. The celery is started 
r in flats indoors, and as the first true 
leaf appears it is transplanted to other 
flats, setting the seedlings 2 iu. apart, 
.y As soon as danger from frost is past 
and we empty a hotbed of its tomato 
plants, the celery is set S in. apart each 
way. filling the entire space. As the 
celery grows the tops come together, 
shutting out the sunlight and blanching 
the stalks. (Fig. 92). The early crops of celery 
grown on the muck lands of Orange County are pro¬ 
duced by this system, which is known as the new 
celery culture. It saves hoards, building paper or 
earth for blanching, the only extra work being the 
watering, which is applied daily. Thirty-two plants 
can be grown under each sash, so one can figure 
from the number of sashes the crop that will be 
_ harvested. After melons and celery 
are harvested, the Fall crops of lettuce 
KsPjpJu can he planted, and as the early frosts 
appear the sashes are placed on the 
frames. Through the use of mats the 
crops can he used until early Winter. 
Empty beds can he used to store seed- 
X ^ ling perennials and woody cuttings. 
Any hotbeds needed for early Spring 
planting should be emptied of old soil 
and manure in the Fall if it is possi- 
Me. as it will save the trouble of re- 
moving frozen soil in the Spring. 
T. H. TOWXSEXD. 
C OLD FRAMES.—A. L., in New Jersey 
question which is repeated by a gardener in 
Eastern New York who wishes to g 
early tomatoes, and a farmer in Mary¬ 
land who expects to grow early lettuce 
for the Northern markets. Another 
correspondent from Ohio substitutes 
the word cold frame for hotbed, which 
I'rings up the question as to just what 
a hotbed is. As shown iu Figs 89 and 
91, the hotbed is a trifle more compli¬ 
cated than the cold frame. The latter 
is the very simplest form of glass struc¬ 
ture and consists essentially of a w 
covered with glass sash. It depends solely on the 
sun for its source of heat and upon the protection 
of the glass and additional covering to prevent rapid 
radiation of the heat at night. It is impossible to 
make a cold frame very warm in cold weather, there¬ 
fore its usefulness is limited to mikl climates, the 
growing of cool season crops, tlu* starting of plants 
for late transplanting, or the hardening 
off of plants started in greenhouses and 
hotbeds (Fig. 90). Commercially, cold 
frames are used extensively to grow 
salad plants and root crops for the S^/7/ 
New York market, on the sandy soils / /'/// 
of Long Island, both iu early Spring ,,/*** 
and late Fall. The early lettuce crops /// 
from Virginia and Maryland are grown ' / 
in large cloth-covered frames, and the *' / 
early celery from the muck lands of 
Orange County is also a frame product. 
Besides these specialized sectious. prac¬ 
tically every market gardener who grows early 
plants depends on these structures to keep out the 
late frosts. 
THU HOTBED.—-A hotbed is very much like a 
cold frame, except that it is supplied with heat in 
addition to that furnished directly by the sun. The 
most common source of heat for hotbeds is fermented 
horse manure placed under the soil of the bed (Fig. 
91). A. L. asks regarding other meth¬ 
ods, as manure is impossible to obtain. 
Many of the sweet potato growers of 
tlio 'South use a hotbed, the bottom of _ 
which is lined with tile. A wood or 
coal tire is built in a hole at one end of 
the bed, the fumes being drawn along 
a flue below the tile and tip a chimney 
at the opposite end. This fire must be ** 
kept going the coldest nights, and while 
1 have never seen such a hotbed used 
in the North, it might prove successful. 
A third method which could he used < 
where the conditions are right is to run 
a hot-water or steam pipe around the 
inside of the hotbed just above the 
soil. The concrete frames shown in ■yRHI 
Fig. 91 were heated by a liot-water 
pipe run under ground from the heat¬ 
ing system in- the greenhouse across 
the drive. This system proves very successful, but 
one must have a residence or greenhouse system 
close by to connect with. Hotbeds are superior to 
cold frames for starting early plants, because they 
can he operated iu colder weather. In most sections 
ot the North it is impossible to grow really early 
tomato or pepper plants iu cold frames, because of 
the high temperature required at the time the plants 
are started. Also, when an extremely cold night 
comes, the temperature may go so low that freezing 
//77777777777777777777T7777/ 
Plunk Cold Frame. 
Concrete Hotbed. Fin. 91 
ggflProfitable Buckwheat Crop 
—-— - T AST year I sowed eight acres to 
■I —4 buckwheat on land from which I 
had got a very good crop of wheat. 
After cutting wheat I plowed land and sowed the 
buckwheat. It made only 96 bushels. In 1920 I 
had 190 bushels from six acres, a different field. 
The 1921 crop did not do so well for two reasons: 
It was sown late, and the weather was very dry for 
several weeks after sowing. But with the small 
yield I have found it profitable, iu that it provides 
a good deal of cheap feed. I have had 1.500 lbs. of 
flour ground which was excellent, and which sold 
for 5 aud 6 cents per lb. A bushel of buckwheat 
Xcic Cetera Culture Method. Fig. 92 
March 1 the mulch will be removed and sash placed 
over the frames. By giving plenty of ventilation 
during the mild days and covering the plants during 
freezing weather we plan on having blossoms a 
month ahead of the ordinary crop, which is started 
in the greenhouse and set out as the last frost passes. 
With a sash or two of pansies the farm housewife 
can supply the table daily until midsummer. (Fig. 
92). In the picture shown note the pansies are in 
blossom before the leaves appeared on the trees. 
BEGINNING WORK.—For our early plants the 
hotbed pits are cleaned out in the Fall and covered 
with sash. When ready for filling the sashes are 
removed and fresh manure placed in, being sure to 
pack firmly in the corners. We till the bed almost 
full, as the manure sinks in settling. The sashes 
are replaced, which keeps out the rain and snow, 
and also helps to retain heat. The soil, which has 
been mixed thoroughly with well-decayed cow 
manure, is placed over the manure in a day or so. 
and a soil thermometer pushed into the ground so 
the temperature can be observed. It will mount 
rapidly to over 100 degrees, and seed must not be 
Making Concrete Hotbed 
Frame Full of Enrlp Pansies. Fig. ltd 
