24 



BULLETIN 527. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



duce a crop three or four weeks earlier than usual. Some gardeners 

 place a half -barrel or a keg over the plants and cover it with manure 

 to force them in the spring, but the forcing box is preferable on 

 account of the heat that comes through the glass; also, because the 

 plants — rhubarb especially — lack the green color when grown in the 

 dark. 



The material needed is one piece of board, cypress preferred, £ by 



12 by 42 inches, one piece I by 8 by 28 inches, one piece of glass 13 by 



13 inches, a few 8-penny nails, 1-inch brads, and 10-ounce carpet 

 tacks, and a piece of leather large enough for the two hinges. 



The stock with finished dimensions and the use of each of the 

 pieces are as follows: 



Use. 



Xumber of 

 pieces. 



rinished dimensions. 



Back 



1 



2 



1 



2 



2 



Inches. 

 f by lljby 12£. 

 f by llf at one end and 7J at the other 



end by 14 long, 

 f bv 7| bv 12£. 

 f by Hby 14. 

 a by lj by 14J. 



Side 



Front 





Do 





Cut the | by 12 by 42 inch piece into three pieces, two of them 14£ 

 inches and the other 13 inches long. Square these up to dimensions 

 given for back and side pieces. Bevel the back piece as shown in the 

 drawing. To make the top edge of a side piece slanting, draw a line 

 on the board with one end 11^ inches from the base and the other 

 7% inches and saw and plane to this line. 



Cut the i by 8 by 28 inch piece of material into two lengths, one 

 13 inches long and the other 15 inches long. Square up the first of 

 these pieces to form the front piece of the box. Bevel this piece as 

 shown in the drawing. Rip the other piece into four strips, each 

 If inches wide, and square up to form the four pieces of the cover. 

 Lay off and cut the ends of these pieces to form the half -lap joints at 

 the corners of the cover as shown in the drawing. 



With the pieces all cut and squared up, the next step is to assemble 

 the parts. Nail the front and back pieces to the side pieces, using 

 S-penny nails. Place the four strips of the cover in position and nail 

 the half -lap joints, using 1-inch brads and bending them over on the 

 under side. Fasten the cover to the box by means of the pieces of 

 leather that form the hinges. Place the glass in position on the cover 

 and drive carpet tacks into the wood along the front and sides to hold 

 the glass in place. Also, drive two or three tacks along the back 

 edge; these tacks can be removed and the glass slid out when venti- 

 lation is necessary or the plants are to be gathered. 



