H ouse and Garden 
CONCRETE GREENHOUSES 
wholly to structural excellence. Solidity, hardness 
and smoothness of finish were the ends sought for. 
This led to an undesirable and quasi-lithic mas¬ 
querade which brought the system into some 
disrepute for domestic work. Latterly, the con¬ 
crete block makers, instead of endeavoring to 
simulate stone, have treated their product more 
sensibly and frankly so that the blocks, as they come 
from the manufacturers, are rapidly assuming a more 
normal and pleasing form. It only requires, on the 
part of the manufacturers, an entire willingness to 
meet the architects’ views in this respect, to produce 
an effect which will be 
unobjectionable. Varia¬ 
tions in the sizes and 
shapes of the blocks; 
variations, natural or 
sophisticated in the tex¬ 
ture of the surface; and 
a careful study of the 
capabilities of the ma¬ 
terial in this direction, 
are all that is needed to 
bring about the desired 
result. This industry is 
still in its infancy and 
taking this fact into 
consideration, it is really 
surprising what sound 
progress has been made 
in tbe two or three years 
of its existence. 
What was 
Fireproof said in the 
Qualities again 
said in 
pieced ing 
article on the excellent 
record of concrete when 
subject, to tbe severest 
tests by fire is reinforced by 
the following testimony quoted 
from The Municipal Journal 
and Engineer : 
“1 he heat-resisting prop¬ 
erties of concrete are a 
prominent subject of discus¬ 
sion among engineers and 
fire-department officials. A 
recent fire at Duluth, which 
destroyed a part of the large 
Peavy elevator plant, has 
afforded a test on a large scale, 
and local reports show that the 
material came off with all the 
honors of the contest. 1 hirty- 
hve circular bins, 110 feet 
high, with a capacity of 
4,000,000 bushels, directly 
faced the “crib” or working 
elevator, the latter being completely destroyed by 
flames, whose heat broke glass in buildings half a 
mile across the bay. The bins were of steel framework, 
covered with concrete; they are entirely unharmed 
and the walls are not even blackened, the fierce 
heat having burned off tbe smoke.” 
A contributor to Concrete says, “The 
Post's^ 16 FenCC manufacture of concrete fence posts, 
along with other Portland cement 
products, has become a great industry. The con¬ 
sumption of cement posts in this country to-day is 
enormous and railroad companies, ranch owners, and 
Atlas Portland Cement Co. 
CONCRETE DAM AT SPRAGUE’S FALLS, ME. 
Cement Age 
298 
