14:2 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
November, 1916 
which are nine feet long outside and three feet 
high. At the farther end of these side walls 
the bricks were arranged in the same manner for 
connection with the front wall. I his little wall 
is the same height as the side walls and eigh- 
teen feet measured outside. Our foundation, 
therefore, is of solid brick 
laid in cement and sand one 
to {three mixture. The main 
wall is of 8-inch work, the best 
Section of the homebuilt green- 
house shown on preceding page 
brick being used here in front, while in the 
rear, pieces of brick called bats were used. 
All other walls are of 4-inch work or one width 
of brick thick. In the front wall are two 8- 
inch work posts or piers six feet from either 
end, to strengthen this wall, also at the en- 
trance on the west end wall are two 8-inch 
work piers, each side of the door. All the 
brick used came out of some old building which 
we were renovating, and were discarded bricks 
being thrown away by masons as useless, that 
being the case the bricks did not cost us any- 
thing. 
In the top of the walls at convenient places, 
especially toward the ends and in the middle, 
were set fifteen bolts seven inches long, the tops 
protruding above the top of the wall so that 
it was possible to anchor the sills to the walls. 
After the sills, the one on the north wall being 
a 2 X 8 inch plank and a 2 x 4 inch scantling 
on the front and side walls, were securely 
anchored by the bolts and set in loose mortar 
of sand and cement, the rafters were attached 
to the back and front sills. These rafters 
were 2 x 3, a slanting cut was made through 
them in order that they could fit more snugly 
and evenly to the sills, especially the front 
sill. 
Following this the small roof at the top 
was put on and shingled, the boards being 
raised two inches above the rafters by short 
pieces of 2 x 2 inch stock, in order that the 
sash might slip up underneath the boards and 
shingles, making a water tight joint. The end 
boarding! was nailed on, and consisted of 
matched boards attached to the rafters and 
short pieces of studding which supported them. 
The sash were made separately, being seven 
feet long by three feet wide. White pine 
was used in their construction. The edges 
were rabbited out one 
quarter of an inch wide 
by three eighths of an 
inch deep in the proper 
.place for the setting in 
of the glass. Then the 
end pieces were mor- 
tised and set in white 
lead, all fitting snugly. 
The glass used was in 
10 X 12 in. lights, six 
and a half panes being 
used to each strip. 
Three strips to a sash 
were all laid in home- 
made putty, consisting 
of white lead, linseed 
011 and whiting. The 
glass was firmly tacked with triangular glaz- 
ier’s points, and thoroughly puttied outside, 
making a water tight sash. 
Before the glass was set the sash had a thin 
coat of white lead and oil, and another coat 
after glazing. When the complete sash 
were placed on the house a narrow strip of 
wood one inch thick, two inches wide and 
about seven 
joint between 
the 
out 
1 
MATERIALS AND COST ESTIMATED ACTUAL 
2400 brick, $9.00 per M 
21.60 
Used old 
7 bu. cement, $.85 per 
5.95 
5.95 
2\ loads sand, $1.75 
Hemlock 
3.94 
On place 
2 pieces 8 x 2 in. x 16 ft. steps, sills, etc.'; 
7 “ 2 X 3 in. X 10 “ rafters 
1 " 2 X 4-in. X 18 “ sills 
'■3.06 3.06 
13 " 2x4in. xl2 " studding, etc. ' 
10 lbs. nails, misc. @ $.05 
.50 
.50 
500 ft. matched spruce, $22 per M. 
11.00 
11.00 
2 bundles shingles, $3.^ per M. 
1.75 
1.75 
White lead, oil, whiting, dryer 
6 sash, 7 ft. long white pine 
.85 
.85 
2 pieces 7 ft. 2 x 4 j $.08 
1 “ 6 ft. “ 1 - per 
2 " 6 ft. 2x 1 1 ft. 
1.23 
1.23 
130 squares lOx 12 in. glass 
7.04 
3.85 
Putty, 8 tbs. (home madej 
.30 
.30 
Points, 1 package 
.05 
.05 
5 shelf brackets made to order 
.80 
.80 
15 bolts, 7 inches long @ $.(41 
Bulkhead'extra, boards, hinges. 
.45 
.45 
nails, etc. 
3.00 
3.00 
feet long, was placed on 
sashes, thereby keeping 
the rain. The second and fifth sash were 
arranged to be hoisted at the bottom for 
ventilation purposes, being wired securely 
at the top to stop their dropping down. The 
other sash were fastened very temporarily 
by nails, all being easily and quickly removed 
in summer or whenever desired. At the 
base of the sash between rafters and at the 
top of the north wall between rafters were 
openings which were tightly closed by fitting 
in boards. _ 
The original plan of this house 
called for glass ventilators where 
the wooden roof was used, but 
owing to lack of 
time they were 
not made. 1 hey can, 
however, be put in at 
any time. Some ar- 
rangement had to be 
made for ventilation, at 
the top of the house, so a box venti- 
lator was made at each end of the 
house, being six by six inches inside 
with a wooden shut-off easily controlled 
from the interior of the house. 
In the rear of the house, against the north 
wall, is suspended a shelf running the length 
of the house, one foot wide, and hung up by 
using a small cross piece of wood at each end 
and five quarter inch brackets, which are 
suspended from the rafters and pass under 
the shelf. The shelf is eighteen inches down 
in front from the rafters. It is used for plac- 
ing flats which have just been planted on or 
for flats with cuttings or for storage of boxes, 
tools, pots, etc. 
The interior arrangement of the beds is 
J 
such that the maximum of room is given to 
them. The walk is eighteen inches wide 
and four feet deep. The sides being of inch 
board nailed to 2 x 4 inch scantling; these 
latter being set deep in the ground and firmly 
braced in back. At the end of the walk is 
a small work bench eighteen inches deep and 
the width of the walk, underneath is a box- 
like bin for soil storage. 
The bottom of these beds was filled in 
with sand so that there remained only space 
enough for two feet of manure and six inches 
of soil at the top. The manure used is very 
fresh, full of straw, and packed down hard by 
tramping upon it. It is also built up higher 
than wanted to allow for settling. Fhe soil 
is placed on this only two or three inches deep 
at first. After settling and the temperature 
coming down to normal, 90 degrees or less, 
more soil is added until just before planting 
six inches is the final depth. 
On this soil last year 2,000 tomato plants 
were grown and ready to sell at the right time 
in May at forty cents a dozen. On the shelf 
there were twelve flats 18 x 12 inches and 
fiv’e flats 12x9 inches filled with small plants 
ready to take the place of the tomatoes when 
sold if this was wanted. The house, however, 
after the tomatoes were sold, was planted 
with cucumber plants for the early forcing of 
this vegetable. There was enough produced 
to supply a family of five people, and at a 
time when cucumbers were imported and 
the prices high. 
This year the house was used for the raising 
of plants, both vegetable and flowering, to 
be sold during the month of May. All the 
seeds are planted in flats, flats 18x12 inches, 
having seven rows and about 175 seeds per 
flat. The plants are later transplanted to 
paper pots other flats or hotbeds for fuller 
development. 
The problem of a good entrance was rather 
hard to solve, but finally it was decided to 
dig a pit as deep as the walk inside the house, 
four feet, and have this pit five feet six inches 
by three feet eight inches wide. Old pieces 
of board and some few old 2x4 inch joists 
were used. Three steps were made out of 
2x8 inch plank set in at the west end of 
this pit. After a while a covering was built 
over this pit out of matched boards and a 
Floor plan, showing arrangement of bench space 
few 2x4 inch joists. The roof has a slope 
both downward and frontward. The highest 
point in this bulkhead is six feet from the 
ground and with a door as seen in the cut 
opening on the stairway, any one could easily 
enter. Inside the bulkhead, between the 
brick post opening into the walk of the house, 
is another door. One or the other door is 
always closed if any one is entering or leaving 
thus preventing a draft in the house. 
A house of this type in regulation sizes can 
be erected even more easily by using the stand- 
ard sash, etc., as made by greenhouse builders. 
