Vol. LXIV. No. 2876. NEW YORK, MARCH 11, 1905. 
COLD FACTS ABOUT HOTBEDS. 
A Successful Gardener Talks. 
A FARMER’S NECESSITY.—To arrange success¬ 
fully and manage a hotbed is not a difficult matter; so 
simple, in fact, that in most cases a small hotbed con¬ 
veniently located would be much more satisfactory to 
raises even a few early plants for the garden than the 
usual pots and boxes in the kitchen window, in which 
for lack of proper heat, light and space plants seldom 
succeed. While desirable as an adjunct to any garden, 
a hotbed is indispensable to best returns in the mar¬ 
ket garden, unless other facilities for growing early 
plants are at hand. There are probably thousands of 
small farmers who grow considerable quantities of 
vegetables for market, who confine themselves entirely 
to the less profitable crops which may be started in the 
open ground, and thus miss the pleasure and extra 
good profits that may be secured by the intelligent use 
of a small area of cold frames and hotbeds. In my 
trucking operations I think the time devoted to them is 
most profitably employed. 
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.—I have 15 sash, 3 ft. 
4 in. by 6 ft., for hotbed, and the produce from the 
plants grown in this small space sells for from $450 
to $600 annually, or at the rate of from $50 to $40 per 
sash, and the portion used for plants of extra early 
tomatoes averages much higher, in one faYored season 
reaching $70 per sash. To those who transplant in. 
the bed this may seem extreme, but more on this point 
later. My hotbed is used to grow tomato, egg-plant, 
sweet potato and pepper plants. With cabbage I have 
had most satisfactory results by holding Fall-grown 
plants over Winter in cold frames, covered only with 
board shutters. As yet 1 have had no experience with 
early cauliflower, except that I now have about 800 
plants in the frame with the cabbage thus far looking 
well. 
BUILDING THE BED.—The first step in arranging 
for a hotbed is to secure the sash. These may be 
bought all ready for use; but if one has time to spare, 
it is cheaper by about half to buy the sash in flat and 
glass by the box, and put them together, glaze and 
paint them at home. Sash are made to receive the 
glass in two ways: by grooving with a saw-cut, into 
which the panes of glass are simply slipped end to 
end, and by rabbeting, in which the panes are shingled 
over each other and secured with points and putty. 
Mine are of the latter kind, as I think them closer and 
more durable; though there are many of the other kind 
in use, and they have the advantage of being quickly 
put together and easily repaired. When putty is used 
it should be applied in liquid form, as it is easier to 
apply and far more durable. It is prepared by mixing 
putty with linseed oil until just thin enough to be 
forced from the nozzle of the putty-bulb. After apply¬ 
ing, a little sand sprinkled on will help to dry and in¬ 
crease its efficiency. Glass is packed in several grades; 
the cheaper of which serve every purpose for hotbed 
use. Covers must be provided to be placed on the 
sash at night, especially when weather is severe. These 
may consist of Board shutters, quilts made of burlap 
and straw, or, best of all, straw mats. These, too, may 
be bought ready-made, but may easily be made at home 
at trifling cost by a rather simple process, which I will 
not here take space .to describe. 
SITUATION.—The selection of the best available 
location is important. The ideal location, of course, 
would be a well-drained, convenient, sheltered spot, 
with a southern exposure; but alas, as in all 'things else, 
the real is much more often in evidence than the 
ideal, and so the best at hand must do. My own hot¬ 
bed is located on a western slope with a grade of 
nearly to feet per hundred, and with no natural pro¬ 
tection to the porth; yet these adverse conditions cause 
no serious loss, The one condition that is absolutely 
necessary is perfect drainage; if this cannot be had by 
using a pit the manure must be placed on the surface 
and banked; for if once flooded, the heat will be en¬ 
tirely destroyed. Next in importance is a position where 
it is least likely to be forgotten at some critical time. 
As to shelter, a tight board fence six feet high on the 
north and west is desirable; but if for any cause this 
would be in the way it is not essential. I use no shelter 
THE VOORHEES REI) TABLE BORN, NATURAL SIZE. 
Fig. 85. See 1’age 204. 
except a wide board staked so as to lean over the north 
side of the bed. 
CONSTRUCTION OF FRAME.—In constructing 
the frame, happily the cheapest method is best. If 
drainage is good, dig a pit 18 inches deep, six feet wide 
and as long as required. In the sides of the pit, at 
proper intervals, dig places for posts. These should be 
of good material, and should be set with the base about 
a foot lower than the bottom of the pit. The posts on 
the north side, when set, should be three feet high from 
the bottom of the pit, and those on the south side 
about nine inches lower. To these posts, on the inner 
side, securely nail good inch boards 10 or 12 inches 
wide. On the north side the upper edge should be just 
even with the tops of the posts, and on the south side 
it should be an inch higher. The end boards may now 
be nailed on, after carefully planing the upper edge to 
a straight line. In placing these boards be careful to 
have them just in line with the north edges of the 
other two boards. Carefully plane off the south edges 
so that the sash will fit snugly the whole thickness of 
the boards. Another board of good material should 
be placed under the first on the north side and ends, 
and then the remaining space all around may be board¬ 
ed up with any lumber at hand that will keep the earth 
in place, as it is out of sight and may be easily re¬ 
placed. Cross-bars should be added where the sash 
meet. These should be of good material, about 1J4 
inch thick and 3/ inches wide. The notches to receive 
them should be cut a little small, and carefully fitted 
with a file, and bars driven into place and securely 
nailed. Some advise fastening narrow strips along 
the middle of the upper sides of the bars, between 
which to slide the sash; but this arrangement can¬ 
not be made close, and is certainly a mistake. Thus 
the permanent parts of the bed are complete. I 
might add that for a small bed such as suggested in the 
beginning of this article, the simplest plan is to nail 
together a portable frame, the size of any sash at hand, 
and when preparing the bed dig a pit of the proper 
depth and a little larger each way than the frame, 
and after properly filling with manure, set the frame 
in place. 
HEATING MATERIAL.—For this purpose, manure 
from the horse stable is probably best, as well as most 
easily obtained. It may contain a large quantity of 
litter, and when not well supplied in this respect I 
have at times'mixed in one-third to one-half the bulk 
of wet forest leaves with satisfactory results. Fresh 
manure is preferable, but, if the supply is limited it may 
be collected for weeks in advance by taking care to 
prevent leaching and fermentation. This is best accom¬ 
plished by spreading out the manure as taken from the 
stable until thoroughly chilled or frozen, then heap in a 
long, narrow pile, built high to prevent leaching. 
Whether fresh or not, from six to ten days before 
required for use, the manure should be forked over and 
piled in a compact heap, and after it warms up it 
should be forked over again to insure uniform heat 
through the whole mass. Manure that has been kept 
as suggested will require a little more management and 
time than fresh manure. When set to heat, a layer of 
cold manure should be spread, and on the middle of this 
should be placed a quantity of fresh manure for a 
“starter." If this does not show heat its action may be 
hastened by wetting with a pail of very warm water. 
Now stack the rest of the manure over and around this 
and treat as stated before. The important matter of 
having an abundant supply of moisture in the manure 
is often overlooked by even experienced gardeners. 
The result is a fierce heat which dies out long before 
the organic matter is decayed. For best results as much 
water should be added as the manure will absorb with¬ 
out much leaching, which is a surprising quantity. 
With this end in view I throw pail after pail of water 
on the manure each time it is being forked over, and 
finally sprinkle it well in the frame before covering with 
earth. This treatment also goes far to prevent rapid 
drying of the soil. 
FILLING THE BED.—The manure in condition, 
spread several inches of coarse material like cornstalks 
on the bottom of the pit, then fill in the manure and 
firmly tramp, especially around the sides, until a uni¬ 
form bed of about 18 inches is secured, After spvjnk', 
