38 HAND BOOK FOR THE GARDEN 
SE ee 
concrete construction. The site for the pit should be on well drained 
land and a tile drain from the bottom of the excavation should be 
built to prevent water from accumulating in the pit. A standard hot- 
bed sash is three feet by six feet in size. The bed therefore should 
be some multiple of three feet in length and the width should be the 
same as the length of the sash—six feet. The plank frame of the bed 
may be extended above the surface of the ground sufficiently to allow 
for placing the sash immediately upon these permanent structures 
or = frame, such as is described for the temporary hotbeds, may be 
used. 
In the Autumn the bed should be filled with leaves or straw and 
covered with loose boards or shutters to keep it free from snow and 
ice, in order that it may be free for use early in March. The frame 
may be made of good one-inch lumber, the back twelve to fourteen 
inches high, the front ten to twelve. It should be well fitted to the 
sash, so as to leave as little opening as possible and yet allow the 
sash to be easily moved up and down. 
The best heating material is stable manure containing a liberal 
quantity of straw bedding. If this is thrown into a loose pile, it will 
heat violently and unevenly and will soon become cold. For a moder- 
ate lasting heat, the manure should be forked over, shaken apart 
and kept moist. Then it should be left a few days and forked over 
again and allowed to heat a second time, which will require two or 
three days more. In very cold weather it may be necessary to make 
the pile in a shed. As soon as the manure is ready, place it in the pit 
and tramp it down in layers to the required depth. Then put on the 
sash and leave it until the heat generates, which will usually be in 
about twenty-four hours. 
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$~ SFT ee — SFT a — 3 FT — 4 — 3 FT 












































































FRAME TO CARRY THE SASH OF A HOTBED OR COLDFRAME 
As soon as the heat goes down to ninety degrees, which will prob- 
ably be in two or three days, six inches of rich, light soil should be 
placed on the surface. Then leave the bed for a few days until the soil 
has become warmed through. Later remove the sash, rake or kill the 
weeds, level the surface and all is ready for the sowing of the seeds. 
Care of The Bed. At the North, in addition to the glazed sash 
——board shutters, straw mats or some other kind of mats will be 
needed as an additional protection during cold nights. Also double 
glass sash is now available which is a great aid in holding the heat. 
During bright days, even when the temperature outside is near the 

