Hot Beds and Cold Frdmes. 5
. Permanent Hot Beds.
The permanent hot bed consists of three parts; the pit,
frame and sash. The pit is dug eighteen inches deep, six
feet wide and'as long as desired,.-ra convenient length being
twelve feet. A bed of this sizerequires four sash three feet _
wide and six feet long. The depth of the pit may vary and
should be governed by the time of year, the severity of the
weather, and the kind of crop to be grown. Such crops as
radishes and lettuce do notlrequire as much heat as toma-
toes, cucumbers and peppers. For general purposes in this
locality eighteen inches is a good depth.
The frame may be made of brick, `cement, or of plank,
if of the latter, two inch stock is to be preferred. If
plank is used any kind will do, but the most satisfac-
tory kinds are oak and cypress. The plank frame will .
serve the purpose of the average farmer. It may or may
not extend to the bottom of the pit, but in any case it should
extend about twelve or fifteen inches above the surface of S
the ground on the north side and six to eight inches on
the south side, thus affording a slope to the south. The
boards are held in place by two by four inch stakes driven ·
into the ground at the corners. Every three feet a cross
bar should be placed for the sash to rest upon. Figure 2 _
shows a permanent hot bed in cross section.
Sash should be made of the most durable wood, prefera-
bly cedar or cypress. They may be bought glazed or ·
unglazed, it being much cheaper for one to do his own
glazing. The standard and most convenient size of sash for
ordinary use is three by six feet. They vary in thickness
but the most common is that one and three-eighth inches.
Of course the heavy sash are more durable, but the lighter
types are easier to handle.
Double glass sash are offered for sale by certain firms and
great claims are made for them, but their advantages are
offset to some extent by their increased cost, weight and
short life. These factors, however, are only detrimental to V
the commercial grower. For the farmer who needs but a
\