and by the time it would be warm enough to leave them uncovered, these will have filled up the frame with bearing vines, gaining at least a month on those planted in the open ground.
While the cabbage, cauliflower, beets and lettuce may be planted out as soon as all danger of frost is over, the tomatoes, peppers, egg plants, etc., should not be set out until the thermometer stands at over 60° all night, or until the oak leaves are as large as a five-cent piece. In a small hotbed it is best to have a partition between each sash and the one next to it, so that such as are tender varieties may be kept warm and the more hardy cabbage may have plenty of fresh air, for if the latter should become “drawn,” all the advantages of an early start will be lost and the plants may become entirely worthless.
Sowings of seeds for early plants may be made in the same manner as above described for hotbeds, in cold frames, which are the same without the artificial heat germinated by fermenting manure, depending solely on the heat of the sun and the protection of the sash to forward the plants. They can be planted about two weeks later than the dates given for the respective vegetables in hotbeds, and the plants will be ready for setting out about the same length of time later than those raised with the artificial heat. These frames can also be used for wintering over a few fall-sown cabbage plants, which are useful in a very early season and can be kept full of parsley, lettuce, etc., making a pleasant variety of greens for the table during the winter.
As soon as it is warm enough to dig them and
