BUILDING THE RANGE 87 



figure as sixty cents a square foot of ground surface cov- 

 ered ; but greenhouse men, who are looking for a perma- 

 nent construction, consider this false economy. The price 

 will, of course, vary considerably with different grades of 

 wood, glass, and other material used, also with the locality. 

 Greenhouse material is not made by the ordinary lumber 

 dealer or saw-mill, and it may be necessary to transport it 

 quite a distance. In that case, the cost of construction 

 must necessarily be increased. It must not be considered 

 that a low first cost is of necessity the cheapest, for unless 

 the material be durable, it is not economy to purchase it. 



Iron-frame houses are naturally somewhat more ex- 

 pensive than all-wood houses, but their increased durability 

 usually makes them cheaper in the end. It is estimated by 

 builders of these that the approximate cost of this form 

 of construction is from seventy to seventy-five cents a foot 

 of ground surface covered. This cost, of course, again 

 depends in a large measure on the quality of material 

 used, and the character of the fittings in the houses. 



69. Contract vs. home construction. Often it is 

 cheaper to contract with a professional builder for the con- 

 struction of the range. This depends somewhat on 

 whether or not the owner has a mechanical mind, and on 

 the workmen on the range. If the framework be at all 

 complicated in its construction, it is without doubt better 

 for the manufacturer to superintend the erection of the 

 superstructure. If one has plenty of help available, it is 

 often cheaper for the owner to do the grading and building 

 the foundations, and then contract with some firm for 

 the erection of the superstructure. If there are expert 

 painters and glaziers employed constantly about the range, 

 it will be cheaper to contract only for the erection of the 

 frame and sash-bars. Men w r ho are constantly employed 



