ISSfi 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



141 



ing-paper is spliced, a strip of wood should 

 be nailed across the joint, so that no cold 

 air can get through anjwhere. The interior 

 of the house sliows three benches for plants, 

 and two walks. The first, or south bench, 

 is the lowest of all ; the middle one a little 

 liigher still. Tou will notice, that under 

 the lowest bench are four steam-pipes for 

 heating purposes. Two more are seen under 

 the walk, next to the tall bench, and two 

 more under this bench. It seems a little 

 strange, but it is nevertheless triie, that the 

 coldest place is to the south side, over the 

 low bench. 



Now, it is laid down in our works on 

 greenhouses that plants do better, the nearer 

 you get them to the glass. To take advan- 

 tage of this, Mr. Henderson, in his new 

 style of house, raises them as he goes back. 

 I knew this was a fact, but I didn't know 

 until the present winter that it made such a 

 very great difference. Almost every box in 

 our greenhouse seems to indicate, as plainly 

 fis words could tell it, that they want to be 

 close to the glass. One of the standard 

 works oh greenhouses says no one has yet 

 ever been able to explain n^ln/ this is so. 

 riants away from the glass keep reaching up 

 and growing long-legged, as I have told you ; 

 whereas, when they are close up to tlie glass 

 they seem satistied ; they put on a dark rich 

 color, and grow stocky and short, the w'ay 

 we want them to. To test the matter thor- 

 oughly, we tried boxes in different positions,, 

 aiid rigged one of our greenhouses so as to 

 be pretty much like the figure shown below. 



rr,.\N (»K A (iKEENHf)irSE, AS PHEFEHKEU HY THE 

 AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK. 



You wiil notice in the above, that the 

 first bed is much like Henderson!s. It is, how- 

 ever, to be only '2i feet from the ground, the 

 south edge coming close to the glass, just al- 

 lowing the plants room to grow. The next 

 bed is just two feet higher up; and if you 

 call the thickness of abed six inches, this 

 upper one is just four feet from the ground 

 or floor, obliging one to stoop over when he 

 wishes to get at the lower bed. As he has. 



however, 18 inches of space between the up- 

 per bed and the lower one, he can work very 

 conveniently with his head bent over, as it 

 wordd naturally come while woi-king in the 

 lower bed. The third bed comes two feet 

 higher than the second ; the fourth about 

 two feet higher than this, which would bring 

 this last, and also the center bed, with its 

 upper surface, 7A feet from the ground. 



The supports for these beds may be straight- 

 grained pine or ash, or, better still, gas-pip- 

 ing, for we want just as little shade as pos- 

 sible. Every thing should be painted white 

 — rafters, supports, sides of the beds— in or- 

 der to make the room as light as possible. 

 ITnder the large bed in the center we have a 

 water-tank. This tank is to equalize the 

 temperature of the building, and to furnish 

 water for watering plants. A hose attached 

 will sprinkle the three lower beds easily and 

 expeditiously. Whether the building is 

 warmed by steam, hot water, or a flue, I 

 would arrange it so as to heat this body of 

 water on very cold nights. The water may 

 be procured from the roof partly: and, if 

 steam is used, from the condensation of the 

 steam. The roof is all permanent, except 

 the hinged sash sliown, for giving ventila- 

 tion. The ventilating sashes should be 

 placed about three feet apart— they may be 

 3x4 feet in size ; but be sure to have them 

 lap over the other sash, not to go down be- 

 tween them. When they get covered with 

 ice, you will know Avhy. In regard to the 

 width of the beds, we have decided on about 

 Si feet. The operator can work handily 

 this distance, if he is just the right height 

 from tlie surface of the bed. To get this 

 height, and have it always just the same, 

 and still not be cumbered with elevated 

 walks, we use an invention of my own, lig- 

 ured below. 



MOVAIU.E STEP TO HANO ON THE S!DE OF THE 

 Et,EVATED BEDS. 



An explanation is hardly needed. The 

 board is ." ft. long, (J in. wide, and i thick ; the 

 irons can be madoby anvl)lacksmith. For a 



