One has but to look upon the interior of a greenhouse such as this to appreciate the desirability of having one at home. The cost as described 
in the preceding article of this series is encouragingly low, and the management as described below offers no difficulties 
Heating and Managing a Small Greenhouse 
METHODS OF SUPPLYING PROPER SOIL, TEMPERATURE, MOISTURE AND VENTILATION — 
THE KNACK OF POTTING AND REPOTTING—INSECT PESTS AND THEIR PREVENTION 
by F. F. Rockwell 
Photographs by Nathan R. Graves 
I N the first article on home-made greenhouses, appearing in the 
August number of House & Garden, very brief reference 
was made to the various methods of heating. Before taking up 
the management of the different flowers, plants and vegetables 
which the amateur can successfully grow, it will be well to un¬ 
derstand a little more in detail how to heat glass structures, as 
temperature is, next to moisture, the most important factor of 
success. If steam or hot water is used in the dwelling house 
and a greenhouse of the lean-to type is used, the problem becomes 
a very simple one, as additional pipes can be run through the 
greenhouse. But as this advantage is not always ready to hand, 
we will consider the heating of an isolated house, and the prin¬ 
ciples involved may be adapted to individual needs. There are 
three systems of heating, "flues” (hot air), hot water and steam 
—the latter we need not take up as it is 
economical only for larger structures 
than the amateur is likely to have. 
Heating by hot air carried through 
brick or tile flues is the simplest and 
cheapest method for very small houses. 
The best way of constructing such a sys¬ 
tem is illustrated in the diagram adjoin¬ 
ing, which shows the flue returning into 
the chimney (after traveling the length 
of the house and back). which is built on 
top of the furnace. This method does away with the greatest 
trouble with "flue” heating — a poor draft; for immediately the 
fire is started, the air in the chimney becomes heated, and rising, 
draws the hot air from the furnace around through the flue with 
a forced draft. This strong draft accomplishes three other good 
things: it does away with the escape of noxious gases into the 
greenhouse, lessens the accumulation of moisture and a crust 
from wood smoke, and distributes the heat much more evenly 
throughout the house. The furnace may be built solid of brick, 
with iron doors and grates and an arched dome, and the flue 
should be of brick for at least one-third the length of the house, 
from the furnace; for the rest of the way cement or vitrified 
drain pipe will be cheaper and better. The flue should have a 
gradual upward slope for its whole length, and will vary in size, 
of course, with the house to be heated, 
from five inches to eight or nine in dia¬ 
meter, the latter being sufficient for a 
house 60 by 21 feet. The flue should 
be raised a little from the ground, and 
at no point should any woodwork be 
nearer than six inches to it. Very small 
houses, especially if not started up until 
after January, may be heated by an ordi¬ 
nary wood stove with the stove-pipe run 
the length of the house, but such an 
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The best arrangement for heating a green¬ 
house by hot air, is to run a brick or 
cement flue from the furnace around under 
the benches and into the chimney over the 
fire 
(162) 
