42 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



September. 1914 



against which the greenhouse is being built. 

 If the sash bars for the roof are not over 

 six or seven feet long they will be strong 

 enough to support the glass without any 

 bracing, or "purlines" as they are called, 

 under them. For sash bars longer than 

 that some support is necessary, and the 

 strongest and most convenient thing to use 

 is pipe, an inch in diameter being amply 

 strong for a small house. Second hand 

 pipe is perfectly good for the purpose. 

 At the ridge or peak of the house there 

 should be one or more hinged ventilators 

 to provide for cooling the house on bright 

 hot days. At each end of the house, in 

 place of the sash-bar, an "end-bar" or gable- 

 rafter is used. This has the shoulder for 

 the glass on one side only, and is grooved 

 out on the other so that the glass in the 

 end or gable of the house can fit into it, 

 making a tight, secure joint. The forms of 

 the various kinds of pieces or members 

 used may be seen from the cross-sections 

 in any greenhouse material catalogue. 



Let us figure out just what is needed for a 

 lean-to house, twenty feet long and ap- 

 proximately ten wide. Suppose we can get 

 7 feet of headroom on the wall against 

 which we wish to build. Then we can 

 figure on a height of four feet for the front 

 wall, which will require 6-foot posts, as 

 they should be set at least two feet into the 

 soil. For the front wall then we will require 

 five 6-foot posts; double boarding enough 

 to go from a foot below the surface to 2^ 

 feet up the posts (twice 3^ feet x 20 feet), 

 or 140 feet; 20 feet each of 2 x 4" eave-plate 

 and 2 x 6" sill; and ten fights of 16 x 24" 

 double-thick glass. For the ends there 

 will be required 4 9-foot posts; approxi- 

 mately the same amount of boarding as 

 for the front wall; 20 feet of 2 x 4" sill; 50 

 feet of "side-bars" (to hold the glass); and 

 60 square feet of glass. It is 

 usually possible to pick up a 

 second hand door of some local 

 contractor, at a very low price ; or 

 one may readily be constructed of 

 boards and roofing 

 paper or shingles. 



For the roof there will be required 20 

 feet of ridge, 13 10-foot sash bars, 2 10-foot 

 end bars; and 3 ventilating sash. A little 

 may be saved on the ridge by having it 

 sawed in two vertically, as it will support 

 the sash bars just as well and fit more 

 snugly against the side of the house. Get 

 the style of sash bars known as "drip" 

 bars — which means that they do not 

 drip. If you get the ventilating sash made 

 the right size you can easily put the glass 

 in yourself. Each sash will require a 

 "header," or cross piece between the sashes, 

 where its lower edge rests. 



To support the middle of the sash-bars a 

 wooden rafter and wood posts may be 

 used, but a much more convenient and 

 lasting support may be had by getting 

 20 feet of 1 -inch pipe — second hand will do 

 — and two 1 j-inch pipe posts six feet long. 

 If two additional pipe posts are secured and 

 placed near the ends of the house they will 

 both strengthen the construction and help 

 make a neat, strong support for the middle 

 bench, to be put in later. 



Itemizing these things, and including 

 the glass for roof and the fittings, etc., 

 which will be required, we have the follow- 

 ing list of materials. The cost will vary. 



1 have built a house at the figures given 

 here, but they are low, and I was able to 

 get some material second hand. 



300 feet of inch boards, for walls . . . $9.00 



9 posts (5 6-foot; 4 9-foot long) . . 3.00 



1,000 shingles, for walls 4.50 



6 boxes 24 x 16 in. double thick glass, $18 to 24 . 00 



10 feet 2x4 in. ridge .80 



13 10^-foot drip bars, for roof . . . 3.25 



2 io|-foot end bars, for roof .... .75 

 50 foot side bars, random lengths, for 



gables 2 . 50 



20 feet 2 x 4-inch eaves plate . . . 1 . 60 



20 feet 2 x 6-in. sill . . . ... 2 . 20 



20 feet 2 x 4-in. sill, for gables . . . 1 . 60 



20 feet i-inch iron pipe, second hand 1 . 00 



4 6-foot ij-inch pipe posts . .. . . 1 . 50 



4 ij x i-inch split-T's 50 



15 pipe-straps, to fasten purlin to bars .25 



2 gable end-fittings for purlin ... .20 



3 ventilating sash, for 3 lights, glass . 3 . 00 

 3 continuous headers for same ... .50 

 6 hinges, with screws, for ventilators . . 75 



1 roll building paper 2 . 00 



75 lbs. putty, greenhouse 3 00 



Hardware, paint, and miscellaneous $5.00 to 10.00 



Cross section of house 20 ft. x 9 ft . 10 in., with 



one lj in. flow and five 1 in. return 



hot water pipes under 



each bench 



The posts, 

 boards, shingles, 

 and the build- 

 ing paper may 

 be had at a local 

 dealer's. The other 

 things should be 

 ordered from a 

 regular greenhouse 

 material company. 

 If you happen 

 to live in a section 

 where many of 

 your friends and 

 neighbors have 

 gardens, it will 

 probably pay you 

 well to put up a 

 larger house and 

 grow extra plants 

 to sell in the 



Ground plan of house 



spring. For a small practical house of 

 this sort, two good forms of construction 

 are shown in the accompanying cuts. 

 The details of construction are much the 

 same as those shown for the former house 

 already described. Special fittings are 

 made to use in connection with the pipe 

 posts, frame, and supports, and there is 

 no reason why one ordinarily skillful with 

 tools cannot do the biggest part of the 

 work of building a small house himself. 

 In many parts of the house 

 iron may be used in place of 

 the wooden parts I have de- 

 scribed. The cost is more, but 

 repairs are eliminated. Before 

 building a house of any size, 

 you should get catalogues from 

 some of the greenhouse com- 

 panies and make yourself fam- 

 iliar with the different methods 

 of construction. 



No matter how small your 

 house is, however, plan it care- 

 fully in every detail before order- 

 ing the material. The plan and 

 list of material above should not; 

 be used unless it fits in with 

 your particular requirements. 



As you may buy the posts, 

 boarding, shingles, etc., locally, 

 you can get the work well under 

 way without waiting for the 

 other materials to arrive. Level 

 off the site you have selected, 

 and make your measurements 

 carefully. To get the plan square, 

 be sure that the diagonals, from 

 opposite corners, are of exactly 

 the same length. Mark the lines 

 for the outsides and ends plainly 

 by stretching stout cord or 

 a garden line to stakes set 

 a couple of feet beyond 

 where each corner is to be, 

 so that the points where 

 the strings cross will in- 

 dicate the exact point where 

 it is desired to have the 

 outside corners of the greenhouse. All 

 the posts should be set in very firmly ; the 

 best way is to pour concrete around the 

 bases. Set the two corner posts first and 

 line up the rest carefully with these. The 

 best way is to have the posts a little 

 longer than needed, and saw them off 

 level after they are set. The 2x4 

 inch eave plate can go into place next. 

 And then, leaving just enough room for a 

 light of glass to go in the 16-inch way, fit 

 the 2x6 inch sill 16 inches below this, 



Detail of side wall 



