In all hotbeds the underlying principle is the same: They are
right-angled boxes covered with glass panes set in movable frames
and placed over heated excavations. The bed may be of any size or
shape, but the standard one is six feet wide, since the stock glass
frames are usually six feet long by three feet wide. You can have
any length needed to supply your requirements. "Tomato Culture," by
A. J. Root, tells us that the cheapest plan is to get some old
planks, broken brickbats or stone, and piece together a box-like
affair in proper shape: to provide drainage, the front should be at
least ten inches above the ground and the rear fourteen inches. A
hotbed knocked together in this way is all right to start with, if
you cannot do any better, but will last only two or three seasons.
For a permanent bed, probably the best way is to make cement walls
extending to the bottom of the manure. The bed ought to face south
or southeast and be well protected on the north. It should be banked
all around with earth or straw to keep out the cold, and mats or
shutters should be provided for extra cold weather.
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