CHAPTER VII. 
TO MAKE A HOTBED AND CARE FOR SAME. 
pAKE two twelve inch planks or boards and stand 
A them on edge for the back, one on top of the other, 
and one twelve inch plank or board for the front. Nail or 
screw cleats on them to prevent them from warping. The 
ends are made five feet, ten inches long and placed inside 
the sides. Saw one twelve inch board, cut five feet, ten 
inches long, diagonally and place on top of a twelve inch 
board of the same length at each end of the bed. Put two 
by two or two by four inch posts in the corners and nail, 
screw or bolt the sides and ends to them. The best loca¬ 
tion is a sunny exposure facing the south or southwest. 
The best exposure is on the south side of a building or 
fence as the bed is then protected from cold winds. The 
front or low side , should always he towards the sun. Hotbed 
sash are generally made three feet by six feet. The glass 
in them should lap about three-sixteenths of an inch. 
Sash are made to take six by eight inch, eight by ten inch 
and ten by twelve inch glass. The latter gives the most 
light but the sash containing less bars are not quite as 
strong. Old windows may be used, in which case the bed 
is made as wide as the windows are long. The edges of 
the planks should be planed, according to the slant, so the 
sash fit exactly. If the bed is to remain permanently, the 
sash may be hinged on the back, or, if there is room, they 
may slide. It is necessary to put braces from front to back 
of the bed, and it is well to put these every three feet, so 
the sash may rest on them. The top of them should be 
nearly, or quite, even with the top of the frame. Two by 
four inch strips should be used with the ends cut on a 
bevel so they fit exactly. To get this bevel, place the two 
by four inch strips on the hotbed frame and hold a straight 
edged stick or square against the inside of the front and 
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