These are designed to force an early growth of plants. It is done by the
use of solar heat, and that arising from fermenting manures, combined.
The following directions for constructing and managing hotbeds will
enable every one to be successful. Nail boards on pieces of scantling
placed in the inside corners, in the form of a box, sixteen feet long
and six feet wide; make it three and a half feet high on the back-side,
and two feet high in front, facing the sun; nail a piece of board across
the middle, let in at the top, to prevent the box from spreading when
filled. Fill that with good, fresh horse-manure, with but little straw;
tread it down firmly. Put over the whole, sashes made with cross-pieces
but one way, and filled with glass, lapped half an inch, like shingles
on a roof, to carry off the rain; putty in the glass lightly, or it may
adhere to fresh-painted frames; let the frames be halved on their edges,
so as to lap and be tight; put these over the filled hotbed, perfectly
fitted all around, and enough of them to cover the whole bed; in two or
three days the manure will become pretty warm, when it should be
covered, four inches deep, with rich mould, sheltered for the purpose
the previous fall, and the seeds planted. When the plants come up, see
that they are kept sufficiently moist, and not have the hot sun pour
upon them intensely, and they will grow rapidly; when too warm, they
should be partly covered with mats, and the frames raised to let in air.
Put small wedges between the sash and the boards, which will let in
sufficient air. Keep it closed when the air is cold, and covered with
mats when the sun is too hot. Plants are often destroyed by
over-heating. When in danger of freezing, cover closely with mats or
straw, or both. We have had plants growing in such a bed when the
thermometer stood eight degrees below zero. If the heat of the manure
subsides too early, pack fresh horse-manure all around the outside of
the box, and as it heats it will communicate warmth to the inside of the
bed. As plants grow up, transplant a part to a fresh bed, so as to give
all a chance to grow stocky and strong. Almost everything that grows in
the garden may be forwarded greatly in the hotbed. Vines, beets,
tomatoes, cabbages, peppers, egg-plants, celery, beans, corn, and
potatoes, may be obtained much earlier by this means. Those that are
injured most by transplanting should be planted in the hotbed, on
inverted sods, or grass turfs, six inches square, which can be removed
with the growing plants on them, without seriously disturbing the
roots. Plenty of shade and moisture on transplanting will save the most
tender plants, and they will speedily recover. Make a hotbed of any size
you may desire on the same principle. The boards and frames will last
many years, with proper care, and occasional supply of a broken light of
glass. Into such sash, broken glass of any size can be put, by cutting
it to a proper width in one direction, no matter how far the points lap.