35 



south than east and west. Most lettuce houses run in this direc- 

 tion, and most cucumber houses run north and south. In these 

 the plants are trained up the sides and along the roof and exclude 

 the light to a great extent from the center of the house. In this 

 case the plants in the east side receive the morning light, and those 

 in the west the afternoon light, and the difference in the yield of 

 crops amounts to considerable owing to the difference in light in- 

 tensity. 



Cucumber houses range from 16 to 25 feet in width. Besides 

 the two rows of plants set near the glass on either side, other rows 

 are planted in the middle and trained vertically, but these rows 

 are so shaded that they receive little light and bear much less fruit 

 than the plants on either side. Sometimes the plants, instead of 

 running parallel \vith the roof, are trained on trellises shaped like 

 the letter "A", where they do not run so high and receive better 

 light. (See figure 6.) It is believed, however, that better crops 

 can be grown on trelHses of this type than where they are trained 

 vertically as in figure 2. 



The side hill house with south exposure, where one row is 

 gro\\*n higher than another, is adm,irably adapted for obtaining 

 light, but uniform temperatures are less easily maintained in such 

 a house. Another way to improve the light is to eliminate the 

 shadows cast by heavy framework, particularly the eave plate. 

 What is known as the curvilinear roof construction accomplishes 

 this, and in some other types the shadows are greatly reduced. 

 But some of them are so expensive at present that they are beyond 

 the reach of commercial growers. 



A method of construction whose cost would not be prohibitive 

 has a southern exposure of the house built at an angle to furnish 

 the best average light during the season when least light is obtain- 

 ed. Cross sections of such houses are shown in figures 8 and 9. 

 It must be understood, however, that these are mere sketches and 

 are based upon theoretical considerations. The drawing shown 

 in figure 8 shows a house 34 feet wide and 20 feet maximum height. 

 The angle of the south slope is 13 or 14 degrees from the vertical, 

 and as previously stated, represents the best average angle for 

 transmitting sunlight during the months when the light is poor. 

 In a house of this description the ridge would not cast any shadow 

 from October 21st, to February 21st, and the position of the sun 

 at noon at other seasons of the year is shown. 



A type of house, involving similar features as in house shown 

 in figure 8, may be seen in figure 9. 



In these two types of houses the south slope could be glazed 

 with large glass and the roof and ends with 16 x 24 inch glass. 

 But there are more objectionable features to be met with in this 

 type of house, one of them being the long fiat slope to the north 

 which might give some trouble from an accumulation of snow. 



