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, J by 
12 by 42 inches, one piece J 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. 
Number of 
pieces. 
Finished dimensions. 
Back 
1 
2 
I 
2 
Inches. 
1 by 1H by 12£. 
| by 1H at one end and 7| at the other 
end bv 14 long, 
f by 7^ bv 12*. 
fbvHby 14. 
fby UbVm. 
Side 
Front 
Cover 
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 J inches from the base and the other 
1\ inches and saw and plane to this line. 
Cut the | 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 
8-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 arc to be gathered. 
