172 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
September, 1911 
closed tight against influences of rain or wind. 
Then, too, unlike the ordinary hotbed or cold 
frame, it need not be idle through the severe win¬ 
ter months, for by removing the glass sash and 
substituting boards lengthwise on the rafters to 
hold a covering of litter and earth, it is converted 
into a practical and convenient storage pit for all 
sorts of root crops, potatoes, onions, cabbage, 
celery, apples, etc., that is more satisfactory than 
a cellar and much better than trenching or bank¬ 
ing, since one may have ready and easy access to 
the contents in any and all kinds of weather with¬ 
out disturbing or exposing more than the qualities 
or varieties desired. 
It was left to a neighbor, however, to adapt this 
frame to a use which has the distinction of being 
at once unique and profitable—that of raising hot¬ 
house spring broilers. Having in mind the possi¬ 
bilities of protection and warmth of 
this bed as a nursery, brooder and forc¬ 
ing house, the first broody hens were 
encouraged to set and the resulting 
broods at once put under cover of the 
glass roofed frame. 
The result was that they had broilers 
ready for the table about the time 
others were beginning to arrange to set 
their hens and start their spring incu¬ 
bators. This scheme for raising hot¬ 
house broilers worked so successfully 
that they have increased their beds each 
year and are now profitably growing 
extra early broilers for market; a mar¬ 
ket among a class willing to pay fancy 
prices for such choice specimens, the 
demand for which they have never 
been able to meet. 
In a similar manner late fall broods 
are handled in these frames so as to 
produce broilers for use up to the 
Christmas holidays. 
Another practical advantage of this 
frame is that when built in one long 
section—the most desirable form—it 
may be divided into subdivisions or 
compartments, of such size as desired, 
for the purpose of maintaining various 
temperatures, or for different purposes, 
such as coldframe, hotbed, vegetable or 
poultry forcing house, etc. For ease in 
handling these partitions should be 
built in two sections of matched lum¬ 
ber, to permit of being readily placed 
or removed. 
This combination frame may be built 
of any length found desirable or con¬ 
venient, from one to accommodate a 
few hotbed sash to a bed two hundred 
feet long or 
Detail section at top of 
walls, showing rafters 
and rafter rail. These 
are dropped below the 
top of wall to let the 
sash project 
Section through ridgepole showing how the 
rafters are notched in and wired 
The top member of ridgepole is notched to re¬ 
ceive the rafter ends, a bent wire holding them 
together 
The sash guide strips attached to rafters are 
saturated with linseed oil and painted before 
put on 
longer. The pru¬ 
dent builder will 
locate his bed or 
At 
r 
Ecd Scaffold. ‘.'i£ure 7. 
“I 
beds so they may 
be added to in 
length as required. 
i, l£UrO O. 
an abundant sup- 
A device to cover top of 
ridgepole 
For weeding the beds and such work, a movable frame slides 
along on the benches 
ply of water is one of the first considerations in 
selecting a location, which should be a site having 
good natural drainage. The bed should be, al¬ 
though not necessarily, set to run north and south, 
to permit the sun to reach every portion of the bed 
soil at some time during the day. It is well if the 
location is sheltered from the north winds. 
Because of the width of this bed, when built of 
any length, the earth removed in making the exca¬ 
vation may be loosened with a plow and taken out 
with a two-horse slip scoop or wheel scraper. 
The best time to build the frame is in the fall or 
after the season’s work is well over and men and 
teams are somewhat idle; or any other time during 
the year when the ground is not frozen solid. 
Having determined upon the number of sash to 
be used, and, therefore, the length, lay out the 
ground lines fifteen feet wide for excavation. Al¬ 
though bed is only about thirteen feet 
over all, free room is desirable for set¬ 
ting and lining posts without crowding 
the banks of trench. 
A depth of not less than three feet is 
advised, especially where tomatoes are 
to be fruited in the frame. The sides 
are to extend about eighteen inches 
above ground level, which will allow a 
soil filling of eight to twelve inches in 
the coldframe or forcing bed, or a good 
depth for fresh manure when making 
up hotbed. 
The floor of the bed should slope 
from sides to center but be level the 
length way. Since it is absolutely es¬ 
sential to have a dry floor when the bed 
is used for storing crops we found it 
necessary to dig a ditch in the center 
lengthwise and lay a three-inch tile in 
fine gravel for drainage purposes. 
The inside of the bed is eleven feet 
six inches, and posts are set to allow for 
the thickness of inside boards or plank¬ 
ing, i. p. The outside, 0. p., may be 
covered with any old plank or boards 
available. To insure a perfect align¬ 
ment the posts, s-. p., should be sawed, 
at least on the inside face, and set at 
least three feet deep to secure perma¬ 
nent rigidity, and if “puddled” tamped 
all the better. 
The inside alignment of posts must 
be absolutely perfect, or there will be 
trouble with rafters bucking or drop¬ 
ping, from the very beginning. 
Aside from the material for the walls 
the lumber for the skeleton of frame, 
the rafter rail, guide strips, ridgepole, 
ridge boards and center posts must be 
of thoroughly 
seasoned stuff 
with straight 
edges and free 
from warp. 
The rafter rail, 
r, s., is of 2 x 2 in. 
(Continued on 
page 191) 
