The Greenhouse versus Hotbeds.
FRANK H. GIBBS, MARKET GARDENER, ST. ANTHONY PARK.
In discussing the subject assigned me, I will only speak of hotbeds and hothouses as used for the purpose of growing vegetables and early vegetable plants.
The hotbed is still very desirable where it is wanted on a small scale to grow early vegetables for the home or market, as the small cost for an outfit is very small as compared to hothouses. Sash 4×5 ft., which is the favorite size with market gardeners, can be purchased for about $2.00 each glazed, and a box 5×16 ft. to hold four sash can be made for $1.50, making an outlay less than $10.00 for 80 sq. ft. of bed. With good care sash and boxes will last eight years.
Where the beds are put down in early February two crops of lettuce and one crop of cucumbers can be grown, and when the spring is late three crops of lettuce before outdoor lettuce appears on the market, when the beds are given over entirely to the cucumber crop. Lettuce at that time generally sells for 25c per dozen, and cucumbers from 50c down to 15c per dozen, according to the season. From three to five hundred cabbage, cauliflower or lettuce plants can be grown under each sash, or from 150 to 300 tomatoes, peppers or egg plants can likewise be grown under each sash, or where lettuce is grown to maturity six dozen per sash.
The cost of the horse manure for the beds varies greatly, as some are situated where it can be secured very reasonably, while with others the cost would be prohibitive. The amount required also varies according to the season they are put down. When the beds are put down early in February, three cords of manure are necessary for each box. When they are put down March 1st, one-half that amount is needed. Where there is no desire to get the early market, and the beds are put down March 15th, one cord is plenty for each box. I have never tried to figure out just what the cost of putting down each box is, or what is the cost of ventilating and watering; but if they are neglected and the plants get burned or frozen, the cost is much more than if they were given proper attention, and, besides, much time is lost in getting another start, as they are generally left several days to see if the plants will recover, which they seldom do.
The cost of hothouses varies so greatly for the size of the house that it is hard to draw a comparison. A modern steel frame house containing 10,000 sq. ft. of glass can be built for about $4,000.00, or a house one-half that size can be built for $10,000.00 and is no better than its cheaper rival. A small house say 16×80 ft., heated with a brick furnace and flue and hot water coil can be built for from $350.00 to $400.00, where one does not have to hire skilled labor. A hothouse of any size is very satisfactory, as in cold, stormy weather, when we can't even look into a hotbed, plants can be kept growing and there is always something we can do and be comfortable while we are doing it. It is impossible to use a hotbed all winter, as no matter how much manure is put into it in the fall it will cool out and be worthless long before spring.
Showing hotbeds and greenhouse at F. H. Gibbs' market gardens.
With a good hothouse four crops of lettuce can be raised during the fall and winter, and a crop of cucumbers in the spring and early summer.