SECTION X 

 Glasshouse Building 



.These notes are intended for the man who, starting in a small way, 

 finds it necessary to study the expenditure of every penny. Our large 

 horticultural builders can probably put up a large range of houses at a 

 price very little higher than the grower can do it for himself; but when 

 it comes to one or two houses an appreciable saving can be made by doing 

 the work oneself, and if the builder is a handy man the results will bear 

 comparison with the professional work. All the timber can be obtained 

 ready prepared, and the Ventilators and louvre boxes can be got any size 

 the grower likes. The most difficult part 

 of the work is getting a good start. 



Houses are best built running north 

 and south for all except the earliest work, 

 when lean-to's facing south are best. A 

 start is made by laying out the footings. 

 A good long garden line is wanted for this 

 purpose; long enough to go all round the 

 proposed house will not be amiss. It is 

 most important to get the corners quite 

 square. A large square can easily be made 

 out of two lengths of l-in.-by-3-in. batten, Fig. 104 



or the line can be set out square as follows. 



Stretch the line along what will be the side of the house. Peg out the 

 exact length of the house, inside measurement. Use pieces of stiff thick 

 wire for the pegs, and push them in quite straight and about 18 in. deep, 

 so that they will not be disturbed when the footings are taken out (see 

 fig. 164). AF is the line so laid down, and A is one of the corner pegs. 

 Measure off AB 12 ft., and put in a small thin peg. Measure off AC 16 ft., 

 and run a pin through the line at this point. Slip the ring of the tape 

 measure over the peg B. Now hold the tape at 20 ft, and bring the line 

 AC to such a position that the 20-ft. mark on the tape comes right on 

 the pin in the line AC. Then AC will be square with AF. Now the width 

 of the house can be measured off along AC, and a long peg put in as before. 

 The performance is repeated at the other end, F, and then the other side 



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