142 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULttjili:. 



t'Eti. 



man 5 ft. 8 in. high, the distance from the 

 hooks to the surface of the step should be 

 about 2i ft. You can get the most convenient 

 height for reaching and working ac^ross a 

 bed 3J feet wide by blocking up a plank 

 until you get it just where you want it. The 

 center bed is 7 feet wide, so you can stand 

 on either side. I would have 18 inches be- 

 tween the center bed and the wall, and 

 between the two upper beds. The building 

 may be of any length you choose. I would 

 suggest not less than 25 feet. Below is the 

 cut of our own greenhouse made last fall. 



only partially transparent, of course it won't 

 heat up as glass does. Perhaps we might 

 mention here that the heat of the sun, when 

 confined in a close box, covered with a sheet 

 of glass, will give heat sufficient to melt 

 beeswax, and scorch wood. In an experi- 

 ment made this 11th day of February, with 

 what bee-keepers call a solar wax-extractor, 

 the thermometer indicated a heat of 180". 

 Well, the muslin, being somewhat porous, 

 allows a slow circulation of air, besides ob- 

 structing a great part of the heat, and yet it 

 is a tolerably good security against frost. 



OITU OREENHOUSK, FOR RAISING LETTUCE, RADISHES, C.-^LER V-PT.ANTS, CA BBAGE-Pi.A NT,-, ETC. 



This building was put up last fall, and the 

 work was all done by our own hands, and it 

 has answered the purpose perfectly, in every 

 respect. Tiie cost was perhaps from $1-50 to 

 $2()0, counting every thing. It will be noticed 

 that the arrangement of the beds is not ex- 

 actly as I have recommended ; but by careful 

 experiment on a smaller house attached to 

 the above, I am satisfied the plan laid down 

 here is the correct one. Our heating is done 

 by steam pipes, a three-inch pipe going clear 

 around the outside of the room, and termi- 

 nating in a large cistern directly under the 

 large central bed. With the water in the cis- 

 tern heated up nearly to the boiling-point, 

 the temperature of the room keeps perfectly, 

 even when the temperature is zero outside. 

 The dimensions of the greenhouse pictured I way. A large sheet of this material could 



above are about 20 x 24 ft. 



In the above directions I have considered 

 glass only as a covering for the cold frames, 

 hot-beds, etc. In Peter Henderson's latest 

 catalogue he mentions the use of oiled mus- 

 lin in place of glass, and states that it is 

 superior to glass in respect to injuring plants 

 by too mvoh heat. As the oiled muslin is 



We take the following from Henderson's 

 price list, although we have not had an 

 opportunity to verify the statement by our 

 own experience : 



This we have I'ound an excellant subsjtitute for 

 glass, in proteetinjf and forwarding- alf kinds of 

 seeds and plants for which glass sashes are used in 

 early spring. It is safer, in fact", than iglass, as it 

 protects at night, while the temperatiu'e is not 

 raised too high by day, as is the case with glass 

 sashes, unless great care is given in ventilating. 

 And being light and portable, it can be sent into 

 sections where it would be difficult to get sashes. 

 Moreover, it costs only one-eighth the' price of 

 glazed sash; and as it is waterproof, with care will 

 last for ten years. 



The fabric above is nothing more than 

 common cheese-cloth, coated with boiled 

 linseed oil. It is, however, so easily torn or 

 injured that we are going to test by its side 

 some stout cotton cloth, oiled in the same 



be easily handled by two men, and might 

 save many times its cost during a single 

 night, when late frost occurs unexpectedly. 

 For such a pui-pose it might be supported by 

 some stakes stuck down among the plants, or 

 by some long light strips of pine, with iron 

 stakes attached, so they can be easily and 

 quickly pushed into the ground. 



To hi' contimied Miirvh h") 



