HOTBEDS AND GREENHOUSES. 79 



side, with a wash, made of white lead and gasoline, put on 

 with a spray pump or syringe. This is easily and cheaply 

 done. It will generally come off by autumn or may be rubbed 

 off with a coarse rag or brush. Whitewash is sometimes used 

 for this purpose but it is too easily washed off by heavy rains 

 to be desirable. 



SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER. IN CONNECTION WITH BUILD- 

 ING GLASS HOUSES FOR PLANTS. 



(1) That all joints should be made tight and so far as 

 possible, so placed that water will not lodge in them. 



(2) There should be just as much room in the beds and 

 as little in the paths as possible. 



(3) The glass should be as close to the beds as it can be 

 and allow room to manage the crops grown in them. It 

 should be of larger size for greenhouses than for hotbeds 

 and in size not smaller than 10x12 inches, laid on sash bars 

 11 inches apart. The larger the glass the better. There is 

 not so much breakage in large as in small glass. 



(4) A permanent water supply is very desirable. 



(5) The glass should be of good quality, free from blis- 

 ters, waves, or other imperfections and what is known as 

 double strength glass. 



( 6 ) The heating arrangements should be sufficient to heat 

 the house easily in coldest weather; in other words, it should 

 be more than sufficient to maintain the proper temperature if 

 crowded. 



( 7 ) Having the heating plant insufficient and then crowd- 

 ing it in severe weather, injures the heating plant and wastes 

 fuel, besides being a trial of patience. 



(8) The ventilators should be large and carefully fitted 

 so they will close tightly. When in the roof they should open 

 at the top. If they open at the bottom the moisture that con- 

 denses on the glass, forms an ice ridge on them in cold 

 weather and prevents their shutting tight. 



(9) The smaller the sash bars and framing material in 

 the roof the more sunlight can reach the crop. 



(10) The greanhouse roof may be covered with movable 

 sash, but it is generally found most desirable to use permanent 

 sash bars. Where severe hailstorms are frequent it might be 



