226 Commercial Gardening 



on a good bed of mortar having a little cement mixed with it, spread 

 evenly along the top of the walls, the plate being well jarred down to 

 settle it in position. As soon as it is on it is fixed to the wall by means 

 of the plate ties set in the wall, coach screws being used to hold it. The 

 drip is then nailed on. In case any of the ties are a little out of the 

 straight it is as well to sight along the wall before fixing, and see if 

 any want letting into the plate or keeping away from it by a small 

 piece of wood. The purlin ties are made out of gas pipe, which can be 

 obtained very cheap secondhand; any blacksmith can work them up to 

 shape. The lengths are all -cut right, and then the ends are flattened 

 out, bent over to fit the slope of the purlin, and a hole punched for a 

 coach screw at each end; these are screwed down to the purlin at every 

 10 ft. The purlin standards may be wood, tied down to a concrete 

 pier at the bottom and screwed to the purlin at the top, or of gas pipe 

 set in a concrete block at the bottom and split, spread apart, and screwed 

 to the purlin at the top. The gas pipe is the better material. If used 

 it is a good thing to slip a 2 -in. drain tile on the lower end before 

 it is flattened, to make it grip the concrete. While the concrete is being 

 put round the end the pipe is held up, and when the hole is full enough 

 it is slipped down till it is bedded on the concrete. Soil is then filled 

 in all round, and cement is made to a thick cream and poured down 

 between the pipe and the standard. This arrangement will keep the 

 standard from rusting where it enters the ground. I have never seen 

 anyone else do this, but offer the idea for adoption by the man who builds 

 to last. I always do it myself; it is very cheap and prevents all rusting 

 through at the ground line. If iron or wooden standards are dispensed 

 with the house must be kept from spreading by iron rods screwed to 

 the plate and set in a concrete block in the border; these are put in 

 every 10 ft. There is very little economy in this method, as unless 

 the walls are very low, almost as much pipe is required as for standards, 

 and these plate ties are always in the way. 



If the house is to be heated, a stokehole must be dug at the lowest 







end of the house. Plenty of room must be allowed for working in front 

 of the boiler and for a division for fuel. The space for fuel need not be 

 very wide if a kind of bin is made of boards fitting into grooves made 

 with pieces of batten fixed to the walls of the hole. Three feet will do 

 nicely for this division. In front of the boiler a space equal to the length 

 of the boiler when set, plus 1 ft. extra, should be allowed for withdrawing 

 the cleaning rods from the flues. The walls of the stokehole are easily 

 made with concrete. The chimney should not be skimped, but should be 

 made 15 ft. high, and with a flue at least 1 ft. square; a larger boiler 

 will want a flue in proportion. A 3-in. drain should be taken from the 

 bottom of the stokehole, so that no water can collect and the pipes can 

 be emptied at any time without trouble. If there is a good natural slope 

 to the ground, and there is some distance to go with the drain, the job 

 may be made less formidable by gradually bringing the drain nearer 



