No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 597 



places named, small or ^medimn-sized plants have been built near 

 or within easy shipi»ing distances of most of the larger cities through- 

 out the state. It would seem safe to say that at least one-half of 

 the present area of glass in Ohio has been built within the last ten 

 years. 



At Ashtabula there are less than a dozen plants all located within 

 a mile of each other. These sets of houses cover over twenty acres 

 of ground. At Toledo there are about one-half dozen large plants 

 and a large number of small greenhouses. The total area covered 

 by glass and devoted to vegetables is probably somewhat greater 

 than that at Ashtabula. The largest plant in the state is that owned 

 and operated by the Searles Brothers, at Toledo, and consists of a 

 set of old houses covering three acres and a new plant which was 

 planned to cover ten acres, two acres of which is yet to be built. 

 This eight-acre greenhouse plant is all under one roof. The service 

 room alone would be considered a good-sized greenhouse by many 

 growers. 



At Cleveland there are a very large number of houses, many of 

 which covers one-fourth acre or more. Mr. M. L. Kuetenik's plant 

 which covers about three acres is the largest. The total area would 

 l>r()bably not be over one-half that at Toledo. There are only a few 

 small greenhouses in or near Cincinnati. This is probably due to 

 the fact that growers there have depended on hot beds and cold 

 frames and have not as yet become much interested in the construc- 

 tion of greenhouses. 



STYLE OF HOUSES 



The style of houses in use varies considerably although the narrow 

 span is most popular. Most of the large plants at Toledo and Ashta- 

 bula are made up of sets of narrow span houses, the width being 

 about 15 feet and the length varying from 100 to 750 feet. The 

 Crane Bros., of Toledo have both narrow and wide houses. The 

 wide houses are 45 to 50 feet in Avidth and about 350 feet in length. 

 They are individual houses, having been built separately and are 

 giving satisfaction. This style of houses has a decided advantage 

 over the connected houses in a section where the snowfall is heavy. 

 It takes a comparatively short time for the snow to slide off of a 

 roof which has no gutters of connected houses. Our own houses 

 are 32 by 200 feet and connected. We find that the snow clears from 

 the outside slopes much quicker than from the inside. 



So far as results are concerned we find good crops growing in 

 narrow and wide houses, connected and disconnected houses, in 

 houses running north and south and east and west. It would seem 

 from this that the style of house has little to do with the quality of 

 the crop groAvn. This is assuming that all of the construction is 

 good. Light, clean houses are ahA^ays superior to dark, dirty houses. 

 The style of house Avhich Ave select Avill depend on our OAvn individual 

 preference, the comparative coBt a'nd api)arent durability. We 

 usually find more or less similarity in construction in each com- 

 munity. This shoAvs the tendency to ''Go and do— likewise." 



It is the opinion of the writer, although I must admit that I 

 have no data to support my statement, that Avide houses can be 

 heated more economically than narrow houses. It would also seem 



