PROPAGATING HOUSE. 43 



Fig. 12 gives an interior perspective view of a section 

 of a first-class propagating house. It may be made of 

 almost any length or width that is desired, but eighteen 

 to twenty-five feet is the usual width for a span roof. 



The sides of the house may be of brick or stone, or of 

 two thicknesses of plank, one nailed on each side of good 

 strong posts set firmly in the ground, and the space be- 

 tween filled with tan-bark or sawdust. The common 

 cement and gravel wall, such as is used in some parts of 

 the country, will answer the purpose as well as any other, 

 and in many places would be most economical. The wall 

 should be low, seldom above two and a half feet, on the top 

 of which put a two-foot sash, which will make the eaves 

 of the house four and one half feet from the ground. Bank 

 up the wall on the outside, and cover the embankment with 

 sods. The glass should be of the best quality of plate or 

 sheet. This is preferable to cheaper kinds. Embed with 

 putty and fasten with tin, but put no putty on the outside 

 use nothing but thick, pure white lead paint. The size 

 of glass is immaterial, but if the best and heaviest is used, 

 then the panes may be of any size, from 8 x 10 up to 10 X 1 6. 

 The engraving shows the interior arrangement very mi- 

 nutely, except the posts which will be necessary for sup- 

 porting the roof. The house stands its longest way north 

 and south ; the southern end is of glass, which may reach 

 to the ground or stop at the height of the frames. At the 

 north end is the furnace room, where also ,the potting 

 bench, pots, etc., may be kept. The best and most eco- 

 nomical mode of heating a large house is by means of hot 

 water. For this purpose there are several kinds of boilers 

 in market, many of which are very good. 



The hot-water pipes should lie side by' side instead of 

 one over the other as they are usually placed in ordinary 

 green-houses. The flow-pipe passes under one of the side 

 frames, thence through and back under the middle one, 

 and then under the frame on the opposite side. The returo 



