SUCCESSFUL GARDENING 
{Continued from page 5) 
CULTIVATION As soon as plants in the row can be seen, 
begin cultivating very shallow and close as 
possible without damaging the plants. Away from the plants, 
deeper cultivation should be practiced, gradually lessening this as 
the plants grow to avoid root injury. Cultivate and hoe often 
enough so that you are cultivating the soil instead of ploughing 
out weeds. If under irrigation, water often enough to keep the 
soil in good moist condition; do not oversoak, Cultivate at least 
once between each irrigation until the crop is laid by. 
Some provision for starting certain plants earlier 
HOTBEDS than in the open air is desirable. A hotbed will fill 
this need and pay for itself many times over. First class hardy 
plants can easily be grown and the surplus may be sold to your 
neighbors. 
Construction is not expensive or difficult. It is well to plan unit 
sizes which are generally six feet long and three feet wide since 
regular hotbed sash comes in three by six feet size. If sash is not 
available locally, write and we will tell you where this can be pur- 
chased. The frame can be built for one or more sash as needed. 
Use good lumber, making the north side 12 inches high and 
sloping to 7 inches high on the south to take full advantage of the 
sun’s heat. One by four, or two by four pieces should be fitted 
flatwise across the inside of the frame flush at the top to form a 
joint between the sash and properly support them, or better still 
use grooved slides for this purpose. 
Fresh horse manure mixed with straw may be used for the 
heating of hotbeds. Manure should be shaken apart, and if dry, 
watered down and allowed to start heating. Tramp down the 
evenly spread manure in the pit to make it solid. Fill in with four 
inches of good garden soil over two feet of manure. Soon fermen- 
tation will take place and an excessive heat will prevail for about 
a week, Delay planting a few days until excessive heat subsides. 
The pit should be dug about two feet deep, six feet wide and 
as long as needed for the size bed desired. In districts where 
rainfall is light, boarding up the sides of the pit is unnecessary. 
The pit should always be in a well drained location. It is impor- 
tant that a windbreak is used to protect the bed from cold winds. 
Illustration (1) shows the proper construction of frame and 
(2) shows the planting of seed. (3) illustrates the exposing of the 
plants to air. This may be done during the heat of the day when 
plants are small, and when larger, expose to the cooler evening air. 
The plants must be hardened off before transplanting, enabling 
them to withstand cold, heat, wind and drying out when moved 
into the field. (4) pictures transplanting small plants from the 
hotbed. 



3’ X 6’ IS STANDARD SASH SIZE 
USE LUMBER 2” THICK,S”NAILS AND ADD 
4" ANGLE IRONS AS SHOWN IN SKETCH 
HINGE SASH TO FRAME FOR EASY 
HANDLING 






Ss S 
SS Sr. 5 Ss 
— NBS 

®_ SET FRAME ON BRICKS 
TO PREVENT SETTLING 






WHEN SEEDLINGS. HAVE COME UP THE 
SASH MUST BE RAISED FOR VENTILATION. 


WHEN READY TO TRANSPLANT 
INTO OPEN BEDS DIG A FEW 
SEEDLINGS AT A TIME AND 
GET THEM INTO THE GROUND 
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. 

ns EE Eee 
6 D, V, Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 
