34 



thus formed by having the posts stand five to six feet out of the 

 ground, while the front walls may be three to five feet high, ac- 

 cording to the use for which the house is designed. All the posts 

 should be faced on both sides from the point where they come out 

 of the ground to an even thickness at the top (Fig. 4 b) so that 

 the wall may be the same thickness. Cast-iron posts are used in 

 many modern houses, being sunk below the surface as deeply as 

 wooden posts and the main framework bolted to them. These 

 are most largely used when the main rafters and perlins are also 



of iron. 



Superstructure. 



Sills. — These should be of cypress or chestnut, the first being 

 preferred, but in case of a home supply of the latter it will be the 

 much cheaper material and nearly as good. In form the upper 

 side should be sloped so that the water will run off quickly, as in 

 Fig. 5, as with water standing continually on the surface they will 

 rot out very quickly, no matter what the material may be. 



Posts. — The modern glass structures for growing plants are 

 made of such light material that few posts, except those for the cor- 

 ner, the door posts and ventilator frames, are used, the main part 

 of the structure being supported by light gas pipe three-quarters to 

 one and one-half inches in diameter, as in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. In 

 some cases, iron frames are used when the structure is very light, 

 consisting only of the frame and gas-pipe supports, the sash bars 

 and other woodwork resting as a shell upon the iron supports. 



Sash Bars. — The form of sash bars most in use is shown in 

 Fig. 12, having drip gutters at a, to catch the drip as it runs down 

 the glass and carry it to the plates and walls of the house. Up- 

 right sash bars should be made without this drip gutter. These 

 are supported by perlins (Fig. 11), which in turn are supported 

 by gas pipe or light lumber. 



Perlins. — In man}- cases angle iron is used as perlins, which is 

 much more expensive but more durable. 



The Rickje (Fig. 9) may be a plain board six to eight inches 

 wide, or, better, one formed out of two-inch lumber with a groove 

 cut for the support of the sash bars and ventilators. 



Plates (Figs. 6 and 7) are made in many forms, but, as with the 

 sills, should always have a sloping top to carry away the water 

 quickly. Fig. 7 represents a very good plate, consisting of a two- 

 inch plank eight to ten inches wide, spiked on the top of the posts 

 or frame, the sash bars being fastened to the upper edge. To 

 avoid shade from the plate on the south side of the house some 

 houses are built by having the upright sash bars meet those of the 

 roof and wall, the upper range of glass shutting over the lower so 



