52 
House & Garden 
COAL-LESS GARDENS UNDER GLASS 
While Limited in Its Adaptability, the Hotbed as an All-Year Vegetable Producer Deserves Every Gardener s 
Attention—Its Uses, Structure and Maintenance 
WILLIAM C. McCOLLOM 
O NE of the greatest advan¬ 
tages of a hotbed or cold- 
frame is the fact that it gives our 
garden a running start in the 
spring. In this way it makes 
possible plants that are robust, 
vigorous and better able to stand 
our hot, dry summer. Under such 
favorable circumstances, certain 
crops mature much earlier—an es¬ 
sential feature in an efficient gar¬ 
den. Yet this is only a small part 
of the earning power of properly 
managed frames. There is not a 
season of the year when they can¬ 
not be made a factor in the garden, 
yielding returns in the form of 
garden dividends. 
The purposes of a frame are so 
many that it is difficult to decide 
just where to begin in naming them. Let us 
take summer, however, when we will assume 
that the frames have just unloaded their fulness 
of well developed seedlings of all kinds into 
the various gardens, and there is a short lull 
in their activities. 
The soil in the frames, through constant 
working, is unquestionably the richest soil any 
place may boast of. Such soil is highly pro¬ 
ductive and there is no excuse for allowing it 
to remain idle, as muskmelons, cucumbers and 
numerous exacting flowers and vegetables may 
occupy the frames during this season. It may 
also be used for the seeding and propagating 
of late sowings of vegetables for fall, such as 
cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, etc.; 
or an equally good purpose even in these war 
times is to use the frames for the raising of 
numerous perennial seedlings for the old-fash¬ 
ioned garden. It makes possible extensive 
plantings of these flowers at minimum cost. 
Frames for Winter Production 
At the present time, next to our war problems, 
the food situation is of the greatest importance. 
These frames can be made a real factor in the 
production of winter food with a little extra 
effort such as all improvised methods of this 
kind entail. 
There seems to be considerable confusion as 
to the various terms applied to frames; hence 
it may be well to designate the different types. 
The “cold-frame” is simply an unheated en¬ 
closure of any type with an exterior sash cov¬ 
ering to admit the light. The “hotbed” is sim¬ 
ilarly constructed, but is dug out to a con¬ 
siderable depth and filled with live manure 
which furnishes the necessary heat. The 
“heated frame” is one where heating pipes 
from an adjoining building, or oil heaters, fur¬ 
nish the heat. In other words, any frame arti¬ 
ficially heated otherwise than by manure is 
termed a heated frame. 
These frames are so easily constructed, or 
bought ready-made, that there is little if any 
excuse for the average suburban garden being 
deprived of the pleasure and benefits they af¬ 
ford. The simplest type is made of 12" wide 
rough boards. Three lengths may be cut 5' 11". 
One is to be used for the front and the other 
two for the rear. Three boards are cut 6' long 
and then one of these is ripped diagonally. 
Small comer posts of two-by-fours are used, 
and small strips should be placed on the sides 
to keep the sash from spreading. It might also 
be well to place a nailing board in the center, 
especially if the frames are to be moved about 
to any extent, as is often the case. 
It is possible to make improvements on these 
frames, both in appearance and utility, by using 
brick, concrete or other permanent construction 
for the sides. Thus they become a fixed feature, 
and care must be exercised to 
place them properly, facing due 
south and in proper relation to 
the arrangement of your grounds. 
If your frames are heated, it is 
a rather simple matter to make 
selection of what they shall grow. 
There are few vegetables which 
cannot be raised, as the only limit¬ 
ing factor is their height. There¬ 
fore, all low types of vegetables 
may be grown, such as beets, car¬ 
rots, beans, cauliflower, cress, en¬ 
dive, parsley, onions, lettuce, rad¬ 
ishes, spinach, Swiss chard and 
turnips. 
It is desirable for several rea¬ 
sons not to get too large a variety 
unless one has a considerable area 
that can be devoted to their culti¬ 
vation. While requiring a little more work and 
closer application, it is possible to have nearly 
all of these vegetables without heated frames. 
It means that an abundance of manure must be 
placed in the frame to Supply sufficient heat 
during extreme weather. It also means that 
sufficient covering must be applied during very 
cold weather to eliminate any possibility of the 
plants being frosted and to maintain the grow¬ 
ing temperature in the frames. 
For fall sowings, the frames should be exca¬ 
vated 3' deep and filled with good fresh manure 
within 6" of the surface. The manure must 
come from animals which are grain fed or it 
will not have any heating qualities. It must 
be thoroughly firmed to insure lasting for a con¬ 
siderable length of time, and about 6" of soil 
should be placed over it. The soil used must 
be rich and fertile, as the plants do not derive 
any food from the manure. 
How to Sow 
It is advisable to start these vegetables for 
winter forcing as early as possible. No time 
should be lost now, as it is necessary for them 
to become thoroughly established before the cold 
weather and accompanying short days. There¬ 
fore, if you are interested, do not procrastinate. 
Secure your seeds at once and start sowing. 
The surface of the frame should be raked per¬ 
fectly smooth and level. A board should be 
The manure which furnishes the heat is placed inside the frame to a 
depth of 2' or so, and covered with good soil 
A fter the seed is sown, give the rows a thorough watering with a fine 
hose, so as not to disturb the surface with the drops 
