THE MODERN CEMETERY. 
137 
for ventilation. In this way a first class forcing 
house may cost double that of a good plant house 
of the same capacity. 
The show house is used for the growing and 
exhibition of specimen plants. The varieties gener - 
ally used are tropical plants, which remain in the 
house winter and summer and attain large size. A 
very high roof is needed, with glass, also, on at least 
two sides, and we must be able to maintain a high 
temperature. The very best of glass will be none 
too good, any imperfections being likely to act as 
lenses and cause burned spots on the foliage. All 
parts»must be made very carefully so as to avoid 
cold drafts, or the dripping of water upon the fol- 
iage, leaves or flowers. 
The show house is, therefore, when properly 
built, the most expensive of the three classes. 
The plant house may be regarded as a necessi- 
ty, and can easily be made to pay its expenses if 
not more. The show house will be an expensive 
luxury, and will bring in little or no returns. It 
will be found a source of interest to visitors, how- 
ever, and should be provided for, if we can afford 
it. The forcing of roses, carnations, etc., for win- 
ter flowers will not be advisable, except in the lar- 
ger cemeteries, or when the surplus product, not 
required for use in the cemetery, can be disposed of 
elsewhere to good advantage. We have already seen 
that the houses designed for this purpose are expen- 
sive, and, in order to secure best results, a separate 
house must be provided for nearly every variety 
grown. This necessitates a large investment at 
first. Great skill and very close attention is requir- 
ed for this work, and a thoroughly competent gar- 
dener is absolutely necessary. The thoroughly 
competent gardener is a rare bird, and many oth- 
erwise competent are absolutely unreliable through 
too great a fondness for the cup that cheers and al- 
so inebriates, or through an inability to refrain 
from considering and using their employer’s dollars 
as their own individual perquisites. 
To summarize, then; the plant house should be 
built, by all means, the show house, if it can be af- 
forded, the forcing house only after careful study 
of the situation with reference to all the points 
above mentioned. 
By the use of flowering bulbs and the easier 
handled flowering plants, a moderate amount of flow- 
ers for cutting may be had at all times, even in the 
planthouses, while extraordinary demands for flowers 
can be met by express shipments from the whole- 
sale markets in the larger cities, at a much less ex- 
pense than they can be grown for on a small scale. 
It being settled what to build, the next question 
is how to go about it. In building any other struc- 
ture the wise man, unless he has an exceptional 
knowledge of such matters, will at once intrus^ the 
preparation of plans to an architect. When the 
plans are ready, the next move is generally to ad- 
vertise for bids and contract with the lowest bidder 
for the erection of the structure complete (that is, 
we offer every inducement for the use of poor ma- 
terial, poorer workmanship, and general bad re- 
sults). In greenhouse building, the good architect 
unless he is one of the very few who have had long 
and successful experience in this class of work, will 
be as detrimental to the best and cheapest results 
as he is essential in other building operations. He 
seems unable to comprehend how light and seem- 
ingly frail such structures may be, and still answer 
their purposes admirably, and he will cheerfully sac- 
rifice all the requirements of the plants to his ideas 
of architectural beauty. 
It is claimed, with seeming truth, that green- 
houses constructed entirely of iron and glass, are 
sufficiently durable to render them the most econ- 
omical notwithstanding their excessive first cost. 
We have hardly, as yet, in this country, had suffi- 
cient experience with them to decide the matter 
positively. It will probably be found that when 
architectural beauty and also adaptability to the 
wants of the plants is desired, the iron frame con- 
struction, with some wood, of our best horticul- 
tural builders is the best, if the question of first 
cost can be made a secondary one. These firms, 
having in their employ experts who are thoroughly 
posted in all the branches of horticultural building, 
and who have a thorough knowledge of the re- 
quirements of plants, can be relied upon to devel- 
ope the plans from the beginning, after an exami- 
nation of the ground, and to erect the buildings 
complete. This is by all means the easiest and 
most satisfactory way of building, but it is ex- 
pensive. 
By omitting the iron frame work, excepting a 
few gas pipes for supports, and building entirely of 
wood, houses can be erected that for all practical 
purposes will answer as well as the more expensive 
and ornate structures. If this method is adopted, 
it will be necessary to work out the general fea- 
tures of the plan, and make a rough sketch or des- 
cription of what is wanted. This can be forwarded 
to any of the mill men advertising greenhouse ma- 
terial in this paper, who will furnish all mill work 
complete, much of it cut to length, mitred and rea- 
dy to put up. They will also, without charge, fur- 
nish full and complete working plans. From these 
plans and with this material, any good carpenter 
or in fact, anyone “h$ndy with tools” can put up a 
building which, while not being particularly or- 
nate, will possess that element of beauty which is 
inherent in all things that are perfectly adapted to 
