GREENHOUSE 



GREENHOUSE 



1397 



becoming an integral part of the residence. Sometimes 

 it takes the form of a sun-parlor, and in which certain 

 plants may be kept at least temporarily; sometimes it 

 is a real plant-house added to the residence, a glass or 

 covered garden that carries bloom and verdure 

 through the cold weather and enables the homemaker 

 to span the year. The best results in plant-growing are 

 secured when the structure is separate, with its own 

 heat, its normal exposure, and its own essential set of 

 conditions; but it is worth while to add a garden-room 

 to a residence even if the horticultural results are not 

 great. Some of the architectural combinations of glass 

 and other materials are very artistic and interesting. 



L. H. B. 



Greenhouse construction. 



For convenience, this subject may be considered 

 under the following heads; i. e., Location, Plans, Gra- 

 ding, Foundations, Framework, Glazing and painting, 

 Plant-tables, Ventilation, Heating. 



Location. 



Greenhouses which are intended for use in 

 connection with the gardens should be placed, 

 for convenient attendance, within the garden 

 inclosure or along its boundary. A good loca- 

 tion for the garden will usually be found the J 

 best one for the greenhouse. 



A conservatory or greenhouse designed for 

 a private place, where specimen and blooming 

 plants will be kept for the pleasure of the 

 family and entertainment of visitors, should 

 be attached to the dwelling or located as near 

 as possible in a well-kept part of the grounds. 

 A conservatory does not require a full south- 

 ern exposure. Most decorative plants thrive 

 as well or better and continue in bloom for a 

 longer time if kept in a house having plenty 

 of light, but so located as to receive but little 

 direct sunlight. Large ranges of glass adapted 

 to a variety of purposes are generally kept 

 separate from other buildings. In parks the location 

 should be near a main entrance. 



The location of a range of glass for commercial pur- 

 poses, where the elements of expense and profit are to 

 have the first consideration, is of great importance. 

 The chief items that determine the desirability of a 

 suitable location are the adaptability and value of the 

 land, cost of fuel delivered, ample and inexpensive 

 water supply and proximity to a market. The top of a 

 bleak hill and the bottom of a valley should both be 

 avoided. Level land, or that having a southerly slope, is 

 the best. 



Plans. 



When a site for the proposed greenhouse has been 

 decided upon, full plans should be made before com- 

 mencing to build. The plans should embrace not only 

 the glass, which is required at once, but should provide 

 for the largest increase which can be anticipated. In 

 this way houses can be erected which are convenient 

 to work and have a good appearance, with small extra 

 cost for building only part at a time. Attention should 

 be given to the special peculiarities of the location, like 

 the exposure to the sun, grade of ground, shape of lot 

 and best location for the heating apparatus. Each com- 

 partment should have the proper form of house and 

 exposure to the light adapted to the plants for which it 

 is provided. 



It will readily be seen that to locate and plan a range 

 of glass to the best advantage requires skill and 

 experience. In a communication received by the 

 writer from a superintendent of one of the most impor- 

 tant botanic gardens in the country, it was remarked 

 that "when the architect prevails, the gardener fails." 



It is also true to a greater degree than in almost any 

 other class of buildings that the beginner or amateur 

 who undertakes to plan and construct his own green- 

 house is likely to pay well for his experience, and will 

 at least sympathize with the "lawyer who pleaded his 

 own cause and found he had a fool for a client." This 

 is perfectly true, as many know to their cost. To plan a 

 greenhouse satisfactorily, the designer must have a 

 practical knowledge of the requirements. To meet this 

 increasing demand, specialists can be found, known as 

 "horticultural architects," who devote their entire 

 time to this branch of work. 



Grading. 



The floor of the greenhouse should be a few inches 

 above the outside grade. As most greenhouses are 

 necessarily built low to accommodate the plants, a small 

 terrace around them adds to the elevation and the good 

 appearance of the structure. It will usually be best to 

 keep the floor of a greenhouse all on one level. When the 



1752. A lattice-covered plant-house. 



variation in the grade of the ground is not too great, the 

 floor line should be at the highest point of the grade. 

 In the case of a long house, the floor line is sometimes 

 made the same as the natural grade, but such an 

 arrangement is to be avoided when possible. For loca- 

 tions on a hillside, the different apartments may have 

 different floor-levels, with necessary steps between 

 them. 



All the sod and loam should be removed from the 

 space to be covered by a greenhouse and all the filling 

 necessary made with subsoil. The latter should be laid 

 in thin layers and each wet down and thoroughly 

 tamped. Loam used for filling under a greenhouse is 

 likely to become sour, and will continue to settle for a 

 long time, causing much trouble and annoyance. 



Foundations. 



Too much care cannot be given to the preparation of 

 good foundations. These are usually of brick, but may 

 be made of stone or concrete. The brick walls take up 

 less room in the house than stone, and are usually less 

 expensive. The foundation walls should be extended 

 down to a point below the frost line, generally 3 or 4 

 feet deep, and are usually raised about 2 feet above the 

 grade. An inexpensive wall of rubble stone work or 

 of concrete is all that is needed in the ground. The part 

 of the wall showing above grade may be of plain brick, 

 or brick faced with stone, or the entire wall may be 

 built of concrete finished with cement plaster. It is 

 usual to construct the walls of the same material as 

 the surrounding buildings, or with some material that 

 will harmonize with them. Until a few years ago, 

 double boarding was used exclusively for the side walls 

 in greenhouses built by florists, the rafters being car- 



