ble, brfth at the time of founding and
afterwards, when linings are to be ap-
plied
coatings, are made use of, which con-
sist of hot fermenting dung laid from
eighteen to twenty-four inches, in pro-
portion to the coldness of the season,
&c., all round the bed to the whole of
its height, and iffounded in a trench.
The site of the bed being determined, one equally deep must be dug for the
a stake should be driven perpendicu- coating, it being of importance to re-
larly at the four corners as a guide for ' new the heat as much as possible
its rectangular construction. The dung throughout its whole mass ; if, after a
must be thoroughly mixed just before it while, the temperature again declines,
is used, and as carefully separated and the old coating must be t;dven away,
spread regularly with the fork, as the and a similar one of hot dung applied
bed is formed with it. It is beneficially in its place. As the spring advances,
settled down in every part alike by the warmth of the sun will compensate
beating with the fork as the work pro- for the decline of that of the bed ; but
ceeds, rather than by treading; for if , as the nights are generally yet cold,
too much compressed, a high degree of; either a moderate coating, about nine
heat is generated but is soon spent:
contrary phenomenon is often caused
if trod to a still greater excess, namely,
that no heat at all is engendered.
The longest or littery part of the
or ten inches thick, is required, or the
mowings of grass, or even litter, may
be laid round the sides with advantage.
The depth of earth, as well as the
time and manner of applying, vary con-
dung should be laid at the bottom of siderably ; it should never be put on
the bed, and the finer fragments of the until four or five days after the bed is
dung upon the top. If it is not regu- formed: before it is applied, the edges
larly and moderately moist throughout, of the bed should be raised full eight
it should be sprinkled over with water. , inches higher than the middle, as from
As the surface on which the bed is , the additional weight of the frame they
founded is usually horizontal, so is the are sure to sink more and quicker,
dung laid perfectly parallel with it. Mr. thereby often causing the earth to crack
Knight recommends it, on the contrary, and injure the roots of the plants.
to be equally inclined with its founda- The roots of plants being liable to
tion, that it may associate well with the injury from an excessive heat in the
new form, which he recommends for bed, several plans have been devised
frames. See Frame. ' to prevent this etfect. If the plants in
The breadth of a bed must always be pots are plunged in the earth of the
five feet, and in the depth of winter
four and a half feet high when firmly
settled ; to form it of this size, about
twelve barrow loads of dung are re-
quired to a light.
In early spring, a height of three and
a half feet is sulficient, and as the sea-
son advances, it may decline to three
two and a half feet. In May or
bed, they may be raised an inch or two
from the bottom of the holes they are
inserted in by means of a stone. But a
still more etfectual mode is to place
them within other pots, rather larger
than themselves ; a space filled with
air being thus interposed between the
roots and the source of heat, an elfect-
ual security is obtained. To prevent
early summer, when the only object is the same injury occurring when the
to hasten the germination of seeds, two plants are in the earth of the bed, a
feet or eighteen inches is not less than moderate layer of neats'-dung laid be-
the necessary height. The length of tween the earth and the fermenting
20
HOT
306
HOT
mass, is an efficient precaution, and is ' are frosty for the admission of air. A
much preferable to a similarly placed , complete remedy for all these difficul-
layer of turf, which interrupts too much I ties is afforded by a plan, which suc-
the full benefit of the heat. A plan re- 1 ceeds on the principle that warm air
commended by Bradley is well worthy' ascends, and simply consists of a pipe
of notice. A woven hurdle somewhat passed through the body of the bed,
larger than the frame being placed , and one end communicating with the
upon the dung, on this its woodwork i exterior air, the other opening into the
can rest, and the earth is laid within | frame, at one of the top corners of
it, ihus the whole can be moved to- j which an aperture must be made ; the
gether without disturbance. This would ' heated air of the frame will constantly
especially he of advantage when bark I be issuing from this aperture, and its
is employed, which requires occasional place supplied by that which rises
stirring to renew its heat in case of! through the pipe. A pipe of lead may
emergency, when time cannot be al- ' be used, about two or three inches in
lowed for the bed becoming regular in
its heat before the plants are inserted
diameter, bent nearly at a right angle,
and each limb being three feet long,
Besides these precautions, vacancies I one of these to be placed horizontally,
should be left in the mould, and holes I as the bed is forming, with its mouth
bored with a thick pole into the bed,
which must be filled up with hay or
dung when the danger is passed.
For ascertaining the internal temper-
ature of the bed, the thermometer is
the only certain guide, as it also is for
judging of the temperature of the air
within the frame; the mode of intro-
ducing it into the body of the bed, is to
have the thermometer inclosed in a
wooden case of the size and form of an
extending in the open air, that of the
other opening into the frame ; a cap
should be fitted to the first, and by a
slit on its under side, the quantity of
air admitted can be regulated.
Although stable manure is generally
employed for the constructing of hot-
beds, yet there are several other vege-
table matters that are also in use for
the same purpose. Tanner's bark,
from its long continuance and regu-
ordinary dibble, which is to be lined i larity of heat, is much to be preferred,
with baize and fitted with a cap ofj especially for very tender exotics. In
tliinned iron to exclude the exterior | many situations it can be obtained at a
temperature. The end which enters cheaper rate than stable dung ; it should
the earth is shod with perforated cop- be employed when fresh drawn from
per. In conjunction with the ther- \ the vats, or at most when a fortnight or
mometer, trying sticks may be employ- [ three weeks old ; it must lay in a heap
ed for occasional observation; these | for six or eight days to allow the escape
are smooth laths of wood, about two 1 of the superfluous moisture : in summer
feet in length, thrust into different parts this is not of such material consequence.
of the bed, which, being drawn out and
grasped quickly, afford a rough esti-
mate of the heat of the bed.
The small extent of the frame, and
the rapid deterioration of the air within
it by the plants, render its frequent re-
newal necessary. To effect this, the
common practice is to raise the glasses
in proportionate heights according to
the state of the air; and to prevent any
injury arising when necessarily admitted
during inclement weather, mats are
hung over the opening ; but notwith
as an excess of wet is, at that season,
not so liable to prevent fermentation.
If the ground is dry, a pit three feet
deep may be dug, and is better lined
with slates, boards, or brickwork, but
whatever may be the nature of the soil,
it is best to form this case or bin of a
similar height upon the surface. With-
out some support the tan will not form
a solid bed, and if mould becomes
mixed with it, the fermentation is re-
tarded or entirely prevented. The
breadth must not be less than five or
standing these precautions, the supply | six feet, or of a length shorter than ten
of air can seldom be regular; hence, ! or twelve, otherwise the heat will not
and from sudden chills, the plants are i be lasting. When the bark is laid, it
often checked, and sometimes essen- [ must be gently settled with the fork,
tially injured. It may be remarked but never trodden upon ; for if violently
here, that raw foggy days, if anything, I compressed, it loses the power of fer-
are more unfavourable than those that I menting ; if the bark is fresh and not
HOT
307
HOT
ground very small, it attains a sufficient left undisturbed, continue at a temper-
warmth in a fortnight for the insertion atureof 64° for many months, he seems
of the plants, and will continue in heat , to intimate as long as fourteen. This
for two or three months ; the larger the
fragments of the bark are, the longer
time it requires to ferment, but in an
equal proportion it attains a higher
temperature and preserves it much
longer; a middle sized bark is, there- ,
material is, however, to be had in very
few districts. Grass and other green
herbage, and even wetted straw mixed
with coal-ashes, have been used on an
emergency with success. Instead of
forming hot-beds with open sides, as has
fore, in general to be preferred; and been hitherto described, J)^7s of brick-
added to the above consideration, it is work and other materials, are very
to be remarked that, when made of generally constructed for containing
large fragments, violent and sudden
excesses often arise, even after the bed
has been constructed two or three
months : on the contrary, if very small,
the fermentation soon passes oft".
When the crops are removed, and
the heat declines, if well stirred, and a
load or two of fresh bark mixed with it,
the bed will acquire and continue in
heat for an equal further lapse of time :
this may be repeated throughout the
year as often as the heat is found to
decline. But it is necessary every
autumn, entirely or nearly so, to re-
construct the bed with fresh bark; for
when the old is far advanced towards
putrefaction, it will no longer generate
heat.
the fermenting mass. It may be laid
down as a fundamental principle, that
in applying heat, it should always be
brought to the bottom of the body to
be heated.
Mr. Flanagan only allows the heat of
fermenting dung to be employed, the
steam being prevented entering the
frame. One advantage arising from this
he states to be, that fresh made dung
may be employed, and consequently the
loss sustained by any preparation is
prevented. If, however, it be a fact
that the steam of dung is rather bene-
ficial than otherwise, fresh fermenting
dung can be used without any detriment
that I am aware of in other pits of
which we have plans. Mr. F. describes
The leaves of the oak and sweet his pitas follows: — " It is four feet deep
chestnut, and doubtless of many other i within, the lowest ten inches of solid
trees, answer for hot-beds as well or brickwork sunk in the earth; the re-
even better than tanner's bark, since mainder is a flue three inches wide in
they will continue to afford a moderate the clear, carried entirely round the pit,
heat for nearly twelve months without i the inner wall of which, forming the
any addition or stirring. They are to ' "
be collected as they fall in autumn, and
carried to some situation, or be so hur-
dled in, that they may be preserved
from scattering by the winds; the heap
should be si.x or seven feet thick, trod
firmly down, and moderately watered
if dry. In a few days, a very powerfu"
sides of the pit, is four inch work, well
bedded in mortar, and pointed to pre-
vent the steam penetrating ; the outer
wall of the flue is also four inch, but
open work to admit the steam, and that
of dung coatings into the flue, the top
of which is rendered tight by a covering
of tiles, &c. The frame rests on the
heat is produced, and in five or six i external wall of the flue. The cavity
weeks will have become so regular, â– of the pit, which is kept dry by means
that it may be broken up and the beds of drains, is nine feet two inches long,
constructed with its materials, water j two feet eight inches wide, and four
being again employed if dryness ap- [ feet deep. It is filled with broken
pears, and they must be well trod down bricks to within eighteen inches of the
as before. There are many other sub- top, then a foot of short cold dung, six
stances that generate heat during fer- inches of very rotten dung trod down
mentation; there is perhaps no vegeta- j so as to admit half an inch depth of
ble substance that does not; even a I coal-ashes, for preventing the intrusion
heap of dry sticks acquires a strong of any worms that may be in the dung,
accession of temperature if moistened, j completes the structure."
Mr. Burnet recommends the trial of the i The accompanying sketch and refcr-
refuse matter thrown oft" in dressing ences will fully explain the plan of Mr.
flax, for constructing hot-beds : this re- | West. D D, chamber in which the dung
fuse he says he has observed, when is placed, three and a half feet deep,
308
HOT
surrounded by nine inch brick work
One half of this is filled longitudinally i maurocenia
with dung at the commencement, which
the steam of the dung; I, represents
one of two plugs, which stop holes left
to regulate the heal and steam as may
be necessary. The outer wall supports
the lights. For the convenience of
fixing the dung, it is best to fill the half
of the chamber at the commencement,
before the branches, mould, &c., are
put in.
Hot-water is a much more manage-
able source of heat for a hot-bed than
fermenting vegetable matter, and for
plans see the title Hot-Water.
HOT-HOUSE. See Stove.
HOTTENTOT CHERRY.
HOTTENTOT-FIG.
Cassine
Mesembry-
if kept close shut up, will last twelve or | anthemum edule.
eighteen days, according to the quality I HOTTONIA palustris. Hardy
of the dung. As the heat declines, the ; aquatic. Division. Stillwater,
other side is filled, and the temperature j HOT-WALL is a hollow wall, the
is further sustained by additions to the interior air being so heated by flues or
top of both as the mass settles. When i hot water, as to keep the bricks of which
this united heat becomes insufficient, I its faces are composed so warm as to
the side first filled being cleared, the old
manure must be mixed with some fresh,
and replaced, this being repeated alter- 1
nately to either heap as often as neces-
sary. A A, are the doors, two of which
promote the ripening of the wood and
fruit trained against them.
Mr. Loudon observes, that " the flued
wall or hot wall is generally built of
brick, though where stone is abundant
are on each side lor the admission of and more economical, the back or north
the dung. They are two and a half feet ! side may be of that material. A flued
square, fitted into grooves at the bottom, ! wall maybe termed a hollow wall, in
and fastened by means of a pin and ! which the vacuity is thrown into com-
staple at the top. B B, are small areas i partments to faciliate the circulation of
sunk in front, surrounoed by a curb of' smoke and heat from the base or surface
wood ; G G G, are bars passing longi- i of the ground to within one or two feet
tudinally as a guide and support in pack- of the coping. They are generally
ing the dung; C, represents a bar of arranged with hooks inserted under the
cast-iron, two inches wide and three coping to admit of fastening some de-
quarters of an inch thick, placed on the scription of protecting covers, and
edge of which there is a row, a foot sometimes for temporary glass frames,
asunder across the chamber to support' A length of forty feet, and from ten to
a layer of small wood branches and fifteen feet high, may be heated by one
leaves, H, for the pupose of sustaining fire, the furnace of which, being placed
the soil, K, in the upper chamber ; E E, one or two feet below the surface of the
represents the orifices of which there ground, the first course or flue will com-
ai-e a series all round the pit, communi- mence one foot above it, and be two
eating with the flue F F F, which sur- ' feet six or three feet high, and the
rounds the beds: the exterior wall of second, third, and fourth courses nar-
this flue is built with bricks laid flat, the
inner one of bricks set on edge. The
flue is two inches wide, and for the sake
of strength, bricks are passed occa-
sionallv from side to side as ties. The
rower as they ascend. The thickness
of that side of the flue next the south
or preferable side, should, for the first
course, be four inches, or brick and
bed; and for the other courses it were
top of the flue, and the internal part of desirable to have bricks cast in a smaller
the wall, which rises at the back and mould ; say for the second course, three
front to the level the earth is meant to inches; for the third, two and three
stand, are covered with tiles, over the quarter inches; and for the fourth,
joints of which slips of slate bedded in I two and a half inches in breadth. This
mortar are laid to prevent the escape of | will give an opportunity of leveling the
HOT
309
HOT
*——
wall, and the bricks being all of the to slate, but considers that plates of
same thickness though of diflerent iron, applied in the same way, might
widths, the external appearance will be , answer the purpose nearly as well,
everywhere the same." — Enc. Card. provided that their surfaces were black-
Hot walls are generally overheated i ened, which would cause them to ub-
opposite the first turn of the tlue, and sorb more of the solar rays. Even
not heated enough at a distance from ; frames of glass might answer the pur-
thefire. Mr. Hay lias obviated this, by j pose applied in the same manner, and
having a hollow in the interior of the . perhaps some other materials might do ;
wall, serving as a general heat-chamber | but it is desirable that the frames should
for diffusing and retaining warm air, be light enough to admit of their being
and also smoke-dues for conveying heat removed without dilficulty, in order
throughout. — Hort. Trans.; Gard. Mag. that these partitions may be shifted
The Rev. J. A. H. Grubbe, of Stan- from place to place, (put under cover
ton St. Bernard, Wiltshire, has taken
out a patent for a Transmitting-heai
wall. The intention is to erect this
partition in gardens, as a substitute for
walls, against which fruit trees may be
during winter,) and set up in different
parts of the garden, as convenience
may dictate. — Nicholson's Jown.; Gard.
Mag. See IVall.
HOT-WATER as a source of heat
trained, and through which the warmth for gardening purposes is preferable to
of the sun may, by reason of their thin
iiess, be transmitted, which will greatly
promote the ripening of the fruit, and
improve its flavour. The material pro-
posed to be employed for constructin
any other. It is less expensive, more
manageable, and less troublesome than
any other. See Tank System and
Stove. The following are some of the
best modes of its application to various
these walls or partitions, is slate of the structures
ordinary quality, in slabs, of the kind Fine-Pit. — The best that has been
usually applied to the roofing of houses. ! constructed is thus described by Mr. G.
Iron frames are proposed to be pre- Fleming: —
pared for the reception of the slates, ' In " a pine-pit recently erected at
like the frames of windows, (with holes Trentham, the tank system of bottom-
in both sides for inserting wires to serve heating and that of hot water pipes for
as a trellis,) and the slates being cut to â– top-heat are combined ; and for keep-
proper shapes and dimensions, may be [ ing a sufficient and steady heat with a
secured in the rebates of the frame by small consumption of fuel, nothing can
j)utty, in the same way as glass. These be more satisfactory. The pit is seven-
frames are to be from six to eight feet ty-scven feet long, and twelve feet
wide, and of a suitable height, and may ''' : - :j- — i :,. t,-..»-,i i v... ;~
be joined together side by side, by re-
bates or flanges, and held fast by screws,
bolts, pins or staples: or in any way
that may be found desirable to secure .m,,. ,..,^v,,«..« ...v^. , „ ,
them firmly. Temporary blocks of is again received by another pipe. The
stone may be placed along the ground i advantage of two deliveries is, that the
to support the partitions, with cross j water not having so far to go does not
pieces to receive standards or slight get so cold before it is returned to the
buttresses to keep the wall or partition boiler, and the heat is more regular in
perpendicular, and against the face of all parts of the house. The depth of
the wall, trellis work of wood or other water in the tanks is about three inches,
fit material may be placed for the sup- 1 The tanks are made of brickwork coat-
port of the branches of the trees. Walls ed with Roman cement. They are
wide inside, and is heated by what is
called a saddle boiler. Under the bed
are four tanks, into which the water is
delivered from the boiler by a four
inch pipe, and after pursuing its course.
or partitions for gardens formed in this
way will transmit the heat of the sun
arched over with brickwork also, which
we find cheaper than covering them
— J - • — •• " 1 —
through them, and hence fruit which with slates, and by leaving interstices
may be growing against these walls between the bricks of which the arch
having a northern aspect, will receive ; is composed the steam is allowed to
the benefit of the sun's warmth trans- i escape, and penetrating the stratum of
raitted through the slates. In the con-, rubble above, to keep the tan in a pro-
struction of these transmitting walls, | per state of moisture. The same boiler
the patentee does not confine himself also supplies a range of four inch pipe,
HOT
310
HOT
which goes round the pit. There are
cavities in the wall to permit the steam
from below to pass to the top of the
pit. The aperture to these can be
closed at pleasure, thus insuring a per-
fect command over the moisture of the
atmosphere. There is a chamber which
formerly contained a flue belonging to
the house that occupied the place of
the one I am now describing. This
chamber has been left with the view of
its being useful for filling with hot dung
either for the purpose of assisting to
maintain the heat of the house, or for
destroying insects. The tanks and
pipes cannot both be worked at the
same time, but they are fitted with
stop-cocks, so that either can be work-
ed at pleasure, and a few hours in the
middle of the day, when the pipes are
not wanted, is found amply sufficient to
keep up the bottom-heat, as the mass
of material when once heated retains
its heat for a considerable time." —
Gard. Chron.
Melon and Cucumber Pit. — For this,
Mr. Glendinning, the scientific nursery-
man, of Turnham Green, has given the
following plans and description.
Fig. 87.
JEleueUion of [he
J,ine A A
Explanation of the Plan. — a, Bur-
bidge and Healy's boiler ; b b, iron
troughs; cc, pipes; d d, iron troughs
as at 6 6 in plan ; e e, pipes as at c c in
plan ; //, copper tubes fastened to the
troughs to admit steam when required ;
g, wire trellis ; h h h, convenient places
Fig. 88.
for the growth of sea kale, rhubarb or
asparagus, or keeping tubers of any kind
during the winter.
" This pit is intended for melons in
summer, and to preserve pelargoniums
or other plants in winter. As the ob-
ject in constructing it is more for the
purpose of experiment than the perma-
nent culture of melons, I have designed
it so that pines may be substituted with-
out any alteration whatever; indeed
any kind of plant which such a structure
is capable of receiving, and at the same
time requiring protection, and in a
warm temperature, may be very advan-
tageously introduced, the hot-water ap-
paratus being so contrived as to com-
mand both bottom and surface-heat,
HOT
311
HOT
either separately or conjointly. For mediate contact, and at the same time
the purpose of supplying soft water for
the plants, I have placed a slate cistern
at one end of the pit, in order to collect
the rain water from the roof. The soil,
if permitted to come in contact with the
iron troughs, would, of necessity, be-
corqe dried and totally unfit for the
roots of any plant: with a view to ob-
viate this, I have placed rough flint or
other stones over the bottom of the bed
and round the troughs to prevent im-
to admit of a more uniform ditl'usion of