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The simple straight and direct house is now much in favor with the commercial growers of carnations, chrysanthemums, violets, roses, vegetables, and with propagators. Most of the greenhouse construction firms are designing houses most admirably adapted to the growing of these plants. Each firm has a few original forms worked into the detail plans, calculated to appeal to the growers' fancy. Perhaps the ideal structure for carnations, for example, is a single detached house, about 50 feet wide and 500 feet or less in length, with ventilators on each side of the ridge and on each side below the eaves, and the eaves, or the gutters, 6 feet above the grade.
The simple straight and direct house is now much in favor with the commercial growers of carnations, chrysanthemums, violets, roses, vegetables, and with propagators. Most of the greenhouse construction firms are designing houses most admirably adapted to the growing of these plants. Each firm has a few original forms worked into the detail plans, calculated to appeal to the growers' fancy. Perhaps the ideal structure for carnations, for example, is a single detached house, about 50 feet wide and 500 feet or less in length, with ventilators on each side of the ridge and on each side below the eaves, and the eaves, or the gutters, 6 feet above the grade.
With the refinements of architecture and the growth of satisfaction in home-building, the glasshouse is becoming an integral part of the residence. Sometimes it takes the form of a sun-parlor, and in which certain plants may be kept at least temporarily; sometimes it is a real plant-house added to the residence, a glass or covered garden that carries bloom and verdure through the cold weather and enables the homemaker to span the year. The best results in plant-growing are secured when the structure is separate, with its own heat, its normal exposure, and its own essential set of conditions; but it is worthwhile to add a garden-room to a residence even if the horticultural results are not great. Some of the architectural combinations of glass and other materials are very artistic and interesting.
L. H. B.
Greenhouse construction.
For convenience, this subject may be considered under the following heads; i. e., Location, Plans, Grading, Foundations, Framework, Glazing and painting, Plant-tables, Ventilation, Heating.
Location.
Greenhouses which are intended for use in connection with the gardens should be placed, for convenient attendance, within the garden inclosure or along its boundary. A good location for the garden will usually be found the best one for the greenhouse.
A conservatory or greenhouse designed for a private place, where specimen and blooming plants will be kept for the pleasure of the family and entertainment of visitors, should be attached to the dwelling or located as near as possible in a well-kept part of the grounds. A conservatory does not require a full southern exposure. Most decorative plants thrive as well or better and continue in bloom for a longer time if kept in a house having plenty of light, but so located as to receive but little direct sunlight. Large ranges of glass adapted to a variety of purposes are generally kept separate from other buildings. In parks the location should be near a main entrance.
The location of a range of glass for commercial purposes, where the elements of expense and profit are to have the first consideration, is of great importance. The chief items that determine the desirability of a suitable location arc the adaptability and value of the land, cost of fuel delivered, ample and inexpensive water supply and proximity to a market. The top of a bleak hill and the bottom of a valley should both be avoided. Level land, or that having a southerly slope, is the best.
Plans.
When a site for the proposed greenhouse has been decided upon, full plans should be made before commencing to build. The plans should embrace not only the glass, which is required at once, but should provide for the largest increase which can be anticipated. In this way houses can be erected which are convenient to work and have a good appearance, with small extra cost for building only part at a time. Attention should be given to the special peculiarities of the location, like the exposure to the sun, grade of ground, shape of lot and best location for the heating apparatus. Each compartment should have the proper form of house and exposure to the light adapted to the plants for which it is provided.
It will readily be seen that to locate and plan a range of glass to the best advantage requires skill and experience. In a communication received by the writer from a superintendent of one of the most important botanic gardens in the country, it was remarked that "when the architect prevails, the gardener fails."
It is also true to a greater degree than in almost any other class of buildings that the beginner or amateur who undertakes to plan and construct his own greenhouse is likely to pay well for his experience, and will at least sympathize with the "lawyer who pleaded his own cause and found he had a fool for a client." This is perfectly true, as many know to their cost. To plan a greenhouse satisfactorily, the designer must have a practical knowledge of the requirements. To meet this increasing demand, specialists can be found, known as "horticultural architects," who devote their entire time to this branch of work.
Grading.
The floor of the greenhouse should be a few inches above the outside grade. As most greenhouses are necessarily built low to accommodate the plants, a small terrace around them adds to the elevation and the good appearance of the structure. It will usually be best to keep the floor of a greenhouse all on one level. When the variation in the grade of the ground is not too great, the floor line should be at the highest point of the grade. In the case of a long house, the floor line is sometimes made the same as the natural grade, but such an arrangement is to be avoided when possible. For locations on a hillside, the different apartments may have different floor-levels, with necessary steps between them.
All the sod and loam should be removed from the space to be covered by a greenhouse and all the filling necessary made with subsoil. The latter should be laid in thin layers and each wet down and thoroughly tamped. Loam used for filling under a greenhouse is likely to become sour, and will continue to settle for a long time, causing much trouble and annoyance.
Foundations.
Too much care cannot be given to the preparation of good foundations. These are usually of brick, but may be made of stone or concrete. The brick walls take up less room in the house than stone, and are usually less expensive. The foundation walls should be extended down to a point below the frost line, generally 3 or 4 feet deep, and are usually raised about 2 feet above the grade. An inexpensive wall of rubble stone work or of concrete is all that is needed in the ground. The part of the wall showing above grade may be of plain brick, or brick faced with stone, or the entire wall may be built of concrete finished with cement plaster. It is usual to construct the walls of the same material as the surrounding buildings, or with some material that will harmonize with them. Until a few years ago, double boarding was used exclusively for the side walls in greenhouses built by florists, the rafters being carried into the ground about 30 inches. Today, light concrete walls about 4 inches thick are built. The cost of the concrete is almost the same as double boarding but has the advantage of being indestructible.
Framework.
The construction best adapted for conservatories, park houses and greenhouses, and for private places where the improvements are desired to be permanent in character and attractive in appearance is the combination of iron and wood. In this system, the main frame which supports the weight and strain is of iron, or steel, wood being used in the frames as a setting for the glass and to form a non-conductor of great advantage in the heating of the house. The iron work in this style of construction usually consists of cast-iron sills capping the foundation walls, wrought-iron rafters setting on the sills, about 8 feet apart and running from sill to ridge, forming the side post and rafter in one piece, cast-iron gutters, and angle iron purlins between the rafters, all securely bracketed and bolted together, forming a complete framework of metal, light, strong and durable. The wood used consists of light sash-bars for supporting the glass, sashes for ventilation and doors. This woodwork being entirely supported by the metal frame, and not being used where it will be continually wet, will method of securing the sash-bars in place is very convenient in case of repairs, and renders the structure practically portable. A careful examination of any old greenhouse will show that the parts of the frame which decay first are those pieces of wood which are joined together, for water penetrating the joints soon destroys the wood. This trouble is largely avoided by arranging the frame so that each piece of wood is fastened be found as durable as any other material, and for many reasons better adapted for the requirements of a greenhouse roof. This combination system of metal and wood construction has been extensively adopted by florista, growers of cut-flowers and also the progressive vegetable- growers. In the houses built for the above, the masonry foundation walls are omitted. Posts constructed of wrought-iron are placed in the sides extending from about 30 inches below grade to the height of the eaves. These posts occur at every rafter, to which they are connected with steel or cast-iron fittings. The posts are embedded in concrete below grade, and 4-inch concrete walls built extending from 6 inches below grade up to the underside of the glazing sill.
Gutters are seldom used at the eave line in this type of house. An angle-iron eave-plate is substituted for the gutter so framed as to allow the snow and ice to slide over it. keeping the roof entirely clear from such accumulations which darken a house in winter.
The first cost is somewhat increased over an all- wood construction, but in view of its greater durability and saying in repairs, it will be found in the end, the better investment.
Cast-iron gutters are provided to collect the rainwater from the roof. By exposing the inner side of these gutters to the heat of the house, they are kept free of ice in the winter. Small metal clips fastened with screws are used to connect the wood sash-bars to the cast-iron gutters, angle-iron plates and purlins. This directly to the iron frame instead of to another piece of wood. Joints between wood and iron do not rot the wood, the hitter being preserved by the corrosion of the metal.
The curvilinear form of house (Fig. 1753) is ornamental and particularly well adapted for conservatories, palm-houses and show-houses of all kinds. It is preferred for vineries and fruit-houses, as the form allows the canes to be supported on the line of the roof without a sharp bend at the plate line. The light in a curved house, being admitted at different angles, is better diffused and more natural than when reflected through a long pane of straight glass. The cost of a curved roof is slightly greater in the construction, but the arched frame is stronger and will keep its shape better than a house with straight lines, thus largely compensating for the extra cost. For special purposes and locations, special forms of frames may be used. Good forms of commercial houses are shown in Figs. 1754-56.
The ridge-and-furrow type of house (Fig. 1757) is seldom built now except in cases in which the amount of land available is limited. The superior growing qualities of greenhouses built separately has been thoroughly demonstrated, as has also the increased productiveness of wide houses. A florist now seldom builds a house less than 30 feet wide. It is oftener 40 feet, and houses 55, 65, 75 and 85 feet wide are not uncommon. These wider houses cost less in proportion to build, grow better crops and are more economical as to labor (Fig. 1754).
Greenhouses with curved eaves (Fig. 1756) are being built more and more. This type presents a pleasing appearance and eliminates shade-casting members at the eaves. A combination sill and gutter is substituted for the plain sill on top of masonry wall to which the rafters and bars are secured.
It is commonly admitted that the so-called "sash-bar construction" is not the best or lightest method of construction, but as the absence of most of the framing reduces its cost so that it is the cheapest to build, it remains a popular method of putting up a commercial greenhouse. Circulars showing the various methods adopted by the dealers in greenhouse material can readily be secured by applying to them.
The best wood to use for greenhouse framework and plant-beds is undoubtedly cypress. In purchasing this lumber, care should be taken that only that grown in the states bordering on the Gulf of Mexico be selected. This will be found of a dark red or brown color, quite soft and easily worked. There is an inferior variety of cypress growing farther north, which is light in color, hard and springy, and likely to be shaky. As the latter variety is cheaper than red Gulf cypress it is frequently used by those who do not know the difference, to the serious detriment of the work and the loss of reputation of cypress for such purposes.
In the market there are three grades of cypress lumber, and it is important to know which to choose. The best grade is known as "firsts and seconds," and calls for lumber with a small extent of sap on the edges and occasionally a small sound knot. This is the quality which should be ordered for all the framework of the roof, sash- bars, and so on. In order to make the material entirely free from sap there will be a waste in cutting up this quality of 10 to 20 per cent. The second grade is known to the trade as "selects." This name indicates that it has been graded so that one face of each piece of lumber is of about the same quality as the "firsts and seconds," the other face generally being largely sap. This quality is fit only for outside boarding in greenhouse construction; it has too much sap. The cost is usually about five dollars a thousand less than the best grade. As it looks to the inexperienced eye almost the same as the best grade, too much of it finds its way into greenhouse structures. Such sap lumber usually will not last more than two to five years. Too great care cannot be exercised to avoid its use. The third grade of cypress lumber is termed "cutting up," and is so called because it embraces all the pieces which have imperfections, such as large knots and splits, which bar them from the better grades. This is a good quality to purchase for base-boards and plant tables, for by cutting out the sap and objectionable knots it will be found satisfactory for these purposes. The "cutting up" grade costs about ten dollars less a thousand than the "firsts and seconds." The percentage of waste in cutting up will be somewhat greater than in the other grades. Cheap timber is likely to give unsatisfactory results in greenhouse work.
Cypress lumber which has been in use for gutters, sash-bars, plates, and the like, in greenhouses where high temperatures have been maintained is still, after many years, apparently in as good condition as when first used. Owing to the porous texture of the wood, the paint, when applied, sinks in and does not make so fine a coat as on some other woods, but because of this fact the paint adheres to the wood better and lasts longer.
Glazing and painting.
Ordinary sheet or window glass is in general use for greenhouse glazing. It is better to use only the thickness known to the trade as "double-thick." This weighs from twenty-four to twenty-six ounces a square foot. The thickness known to the trade as "single thick" weighs only about sixteen ounces to the square foot, and is entirely too frail for the purpose. There is very little difference at present in the quality of the imported French or Belgian and the American glass. The weight of most of the glass of American manufacture is about 2 ounces greater a foot than the imported, and therefore it is proportionately stronger. This greater strength is of considerable importance in the additional security which it affords from damage caused by that enemy of the florists, the hail-storm. There is a great difference in the quality of the glass made by different manufacturers in its adaptation to greenhouse use. This difference is caused chiefly by the quality of the material used in the glass, making it more or less opaque, and in the variations in thickness causing lenses which concentrate the sun's rays and burn the foliage of the plants. This last defect in the glass cannot be wholly guarded against, as the product of a factory does not always run the same so that any favorite brand cannot be fully relied upon in this respect. The waves which burn will be found in all the different grades of glass, firsts, seconds and thirds, with little, if any difference, the grading being done chiefly for other defects, such as affect the value of the glass for window purposes. For these reasons, in selecting the glass for a greenhouse, it requires experience to decide what make of glass it will be best to purchase. It will be well to purchase from someone who makes a specialty of furnishing glass for greenhouses or call in the aid of some friend who has had experience in building, and can give intelligent advice.
The second quality of glass is usually selected for the best greenhouse work. The standard widths are from 12 to 16 inches, and lengths vary from 16 to 24 inches.
A favorite size is 16 by 24 inches. This is about as large as it is practicable to use double thick glass, and makes a roof with comparatively few laps.
It is not safe to purchase fourth quality of glass or the so-called "greenhouse glass" frequently offered by window-glass dealers, as both of the grades contain the culls and lights only fit to glaze cheap sash for market- gardeners, and is of doubtful economy even for this purpose. Rough plate and ribbed glass is used on large palm-gardens and conservatories in which the maximum of light is not an essential feature. Where this glass is used larger roof-bars are needed and stock construction has to be materially changed. Recently a few conservatories have been glazed with thick, polished plate- glass, making very handsome roofs, but rather expensive.
To set glass properly in a greenhouse roof, it should be bedded in the best putty on wood sash-bars and lapped at the joints. The bars should be spaced accurately, so that the glass will fit the rabbets with not over A of an inch allowance, and the panes of glass should lap each other not more than from 1/8 to ¼ of an inch. Zinc shoe-nails fasten the glass best, using from four to six to each pane, according to the size of the light. No putty should be used on the outside of the glass. A comparatively new system of glazing has been adopted by some florists in which no putty is used, but the glass is placed directly on the rabbets of the bars and the ends of the panes are butted together and held in place by wood caps fastened to the sash- bars. This system does not make a tight roof, allowing considerable water to enter the house through the joints, nor does it provide any means of escape for the condensed water from the underside of the glass, which is a very serious objection. In ordinary glazing, where each light laps over the one below, the condensed water passes through the joints to the outside, forming a perfect remedy for this trouble. The difference in the cost is very slight, if anything, provided the work is equally well done, as the value of the putty omitted is fully offset by the extra cost of the caps.
The painting of a greenhouse roof is a very important part of the work. Owing to the extremes of heat, cold, dryness and moisture to which it is exposed, the conditions are decidedly different from ordinary buildings. Three-coat work is the best. The priming coat on the woodwork should be mostly oil, and, as far as possible, the material should be dipped into a tank of paint. Iron and steel framing material should be primed with a metallic paint. The priming coat should be applied before the material is exposed to the weather. The material of the second and finishing coat should be pure linseed oil and white lead. Experience has shown that this material is the best for this work. The color should be white or a light tint of any desired shade may be used, but no heavy color should be adopted which requires coloring matter in place of the lead in the mixing. Each coat should be applied thin and well rubbed out. While the appearance may not be quite so fine when the work is first done, the paint will not peel off, and will last longer and form a better protection for the structure than when it is put on in thick coats. It will also form a good base for repainting, and this should be done in a similar manner. It is economical to repaint a greenhouse every two years, and generally one coat will be sufficient. Neglected unpainted greenhouses soon suffer, and are also very unattractive.
Plant-tables.
Stages for plants in pots, or raised beds for planting out, usually cover the entire area of a greenhouse except the walks, and their cost constitutes a considerable proportion of the expense. Palms are usually grown in solid beds or in pots or boxes sitting on the ground. Many vegetables are grown in solid beds near the ground-level. Roses and carnations are usually in raised beds. Angle-iron frames supported on adjustable gas-pipe legs, with slate or tile bottoms, form the best plant-tables (Fig. 1758). Wood bottoms which can be readily renewed are frequently substituted, saving a part of the first cost. When the table supports are of wood, care should be taken that they are not fastened against any part of the framework of the house, unless iron brackets are used so as entirely to separate the woodwork.
Ventilation.
No greenhouse is complete without a good ventilating apparatus. About one-tenth of the roof should be arranged to open or close for ventilation, although this percentage will vary according to the form of house and the purpose for which it is used. It is not desirable to open all the ventilators in a long house with one set of apparatus, for frequently one end will not need so much ventilation as the other end or may be affected by the wind, forming a current lengthwise of the house. To avoid this, a greenhouse 200 feet long should have three or four sets of apparatus which can be operated separately. In all greenhouses of considerable width it is desirable that ventilation should be provided on both sides of the ridge so that the ventilation can be given on the "leeward" side, which will prevent the wind from blowing directly into the house.
Healing.
The success of the florist, gardener or amateur in the management of a greenhouse depends largely on the satisfactory working of the heating apparatus. There are two systems of greenhouse heating which, when the apparatus is properly installed, are economical and satisfactory; viz., hot water and steam. The open-tank hot-water heating has more advantage in its adaptation to general use than any other, and is so simple that its management is readily understood by anyone. It is practically automatic and is capable of maintaining an even temperature for ten hours without attention. Low pressure steam-heating is well adapted to large commercial ranges, and to large conservatories in parks and private places where a night attendant can be kept in charge of the fires to turn on and shut off steam from the radiating pipes as the changing outside temperature may require. The heating of greenhouses to the best advantage, under the varying conditions of climate and interior requirements, demands, like the designing of greenhouses, the services of an experienced specialist in horticultural work.
Lord & Burnham Co.
Vegetable forcing-houses.
The evolution of the vegetable forcing-house has been rapid and very pronounced. From the low-built, flue-heated, dark stuffy type of house to the high, well- lighted, steam- or hot-water-heated, well-ventilated house is a change that has come not only in a very short time but which has been as marked as the transition from the ox-cart to the automobile.
Location.
In selecting a suitable location for vegetable forcing- houses, one of the most important things to consider is the marketing possibilities. It would be folly to go to the expense of building a forcing-house in which to grow vegetables to make money if they could not be sold at a profit above cost of production. The most desirable markets are those within easy driving distances. If it is necessary to ship the produce to be grown, electric lines will usually be found more economical carriers than steam lines. A grower is nearly always at a disadvantage if he has but one available road to ship over. Competition insures cheaper and better service. Cities with 25,000 to 50,000 population are often more desirable markets than much larger cities. Cities which are the chief shipping-points for southern-grown vegetables are not so good markets for forcing-house products as are the cities which are not Bo accessible from the localities making a business of growing winter vegetables for northern markets.
Another matter of importance to consider in choosing a forcing-house site is the cost of fuel. If natural gas can be secured at a reasonable cost it is a very satisfactory fuel. Coal is used most commonly as a fuel. When calculating the cost of coal, the hauling of it from the nearest shipping-point to the forcing-house should be included. It is expensive to move large quantities of coal a long distance, especially if the road is not good. When a dirt road must be used, it is usually best to do the hauling in late summer rather than in winter.
While any productive soil can be made suitable for forcing purposes, it is easier and cheaper to prepare a sandy soil than a heavy clay soil. Other things being equal, therefore, a location where the soil is a sand or sandy loam is to be preferred to a clay soil.
As large quantities of water are used in the forcing- house, an abundant supply should be known to exist before a site is selected for the houses. It is cheaper to build and easier to operate a forcing-house on level than on sloping land. A level site should, therefore, be selected if possible.
It is also an advantage to have the houses protected on the sides from which the prevailing winds come. Trees, hills or buildings are suitable for this purpose, providing they are not near enough to shade the houses much of the tune. The site should not be far from the dwelling, and the closer it is to the market or shipping-point the better. A location which cannot be satisfactorily drained or which is subject to overflow should of course be avoided.
Types of forcing-houses.
Of the various types of forcing-houses, even-span, three-quarter-span, hillside and lean-to, only two are being built very generally at present. Many New England growers prefer the three-quarter-span while the even-span is most popular in all other sections of the country in which forcing-houses are commonly erected. The three-quarter-span is used on sloping land as much as the hillside type of house, or even more. Good results are secured with either form.
Form of construction.
All-wood houses.—In the all-wood form of construction no iron is used except in the heating-plant. The walls may be all wood, or wood and concrete. The posts may or may not be set in concrete. The all-wood house was by far the most common form of construction only a few years ago and certain growers in various parts of the country still prefer the all-wood houses. Red cedar and cypress are the kinds of wood commonly used for forcing-house erection.
Semi-iron houses.—In the semi-iron form of construction all supporting posts, purlins and braces are made of iron pipes or angle-iron. The walls are usually made of concrete and all interior posts are set in concrete. The semi-iron houses are more expensive to erect than the all-wood houses but they are more durable and most growers think they are cheaper in the end.
All-iron houses.—In the all-iron construction the entire framework is of iron. The various parts are put together in such a way that the houses are very rigid. This form of construction is the most durable of all and will stand a greater weight of snow and more severe winds than the semi-iron or all-wood houses. The first cost of the all-iron houses is from one-third to one-half greater than the semi-iron construction, and this fact alone stands in the way of the general use of this construction. In spite of this objection, a number of large all-iron houses have been erected recently and they seem to be increasing in popularity, especially in the eastern part of the United States.
Trussed houses.—In the trussed form of construction, steel truss-rods are used to take the place of a part or all of the iron or wooden posts and braces used in the other forms of construction. The trussed houses are very convenient to work in and very little shade is cast by the framework. The truss-rods are frequently made to support the heating-pipes. They are also convenient supports for the wires upon which the cucumber and tomato vines are supported. As built in the past, trussed houses have not been strong enough, in all cases, to resist the weight of heavy snows and the force of severe winds. Several such houses have been demolished. If this defect can be eliminated this type of house will be very desirable.
Special features of forcing-house construction.
Width of houses.—The width of the forcing-houses in general use varies from 12 to 150 feet. In the East the tendency is to build houses 40 to 50 feet or more in width. In most parts of the West, the preference is for houses from 12 to 40 feet wide. However, there are individual growers in most sections of the West who prefer houses over 40 feet wide. The narrower houses are cheaper to build and can be kept in repair more cheaply and easily than wide houses. The wider houses, it is thought, can be heated more economically and are better adapted to the growing of warm plants such as cucumbers and tomatoes in winter than the narrower houses.
Length of houses.—The length of forcing-houses varies from 50 to 800 feet. When the gravity system of hot- water heating is used the houses are seldom over 200 feet in length. When either steam or hot water with artificial means of circulating is used, the houses may be of any length up to 1,000 feet. In most forcing centers the length of the houses has not exceeded 500 feet.
Direction of houses.—Lean-to and hillside houses are usually built with a southern exposure. Three-quarter- span houses are generally built to run east and west with the long span to the south. Even-span houses are built to run north and south, east and west and in some cases northeast and southwest. While there is not much difference in the results secured in even-span houses run either direction, there is a better distribution of sunlight throughout the day in houses which are run north and south.
Height of gutter.—Low gutters are almost entirely a thing of the past. Modern houses are usually built with gutters at least 6 feet high and 7-feet gutters are not uncommon. The outside walls of modern houses are very largely of glass construction. Connected houses are commonly built with no dividing partition except in case of extreme width when an occasional glass partition is put in. Some of the advantages of the high gutters combined with glass in the side walls and few or no dividing partitions are: greater convenience in working, better circulation of air and less shading. The former belief that the glass must be close to the plants, for best results has been found to be erroneous.
Pitch of roof.—The roofs of most even-span forcing- houses are built with a pitch of 30° to 35°. Three- quarter-span houses are usually built with the short span of the roof steeper than the long span. Hillside and lean-to houses are sometimes built with considerable less than a 30° pitch to the roof.
Glass and glazing.—Nothing but "A" quality glass is used in modern forcing-houses. Single-strength has been almost entirely replaced by double-strength glass. The standard size is 16- by 24-inch glass. It is usually laid the narrow way, although in sections of the country in which the snowfall is light the glass is frequently laid the 24-inch way. Twenty- by 24-inch glass is used by some growers. Butted glass was popular for a time and is yet with some growers, but lapped glass is most commonly used at the present time. When lapped, the glass is imbedded in putty and secured in place by the use of glazing-points. Butted glass is held in place by grooved strips of wood placed over the edges and fastened to the sash-bars with screws.
Ventilation.—An abundance of ventilation should always be provided, as the health of the plants is governed to a considerable extent by the ventilation given or not given at the proper time. When the narrow ridge-and-furrow type of forcing-house is used, provision is made for ventilators on only one side of the roof. If the houses are 30 or more feet in width, ventilators are usually placed on both sides of the ridge. In some cases, the ventilators are continuous, but owing to the liability of binding when so built most growers use separate ventilator sash. The sash are separated from each other by one or two lines of fixed glass. They are hinged on the ridge or on the header at the lower edge of the sash. When they are hinged on the header and open at the ridge the ventilation is more free, but cold draughts of air and rain or snow are more liable to enter than when the sash are hinged at the ridge and open at the lower edge. Side ventilators are a decided advantage in warm weather. When they are not provided, the air in the houses often becomes stale and oppressive. In such a condition it is unsuitable for normal plant-growth and unpleasant for those who are obliged to inhale it. Easy-working ventilator machinery should be provided for the ventilators both on the sides and roofs.
Healing.—For small forcing-houses, hot water is undoubtedly the most satisfactory method of heating. Some of the advantages of hot water over steam heat are: No night fireman is needed in small forcing-houses as the fire can be left for several hours without attention. Less fuel is required, especially in mild weather. The proper amount of moisture in the air can be maintained more easily. The heating-pipes if kept filled with water will outlast steam-heated pipes. The chief advantage of the steam heat over hot water is that it is cheaper to install. The reason for this is that when gravity is the means of circulating the water, larger pipes are required for properly heating the houses with water than are necessary where steam is the heat used. The gravity system is the principal method used in small hot-water-heated houses. Another advantage of steam over hot water is that the heat can be regulated more easily. When steam sterilization is practised it is an advantage to be able to use the same boilers for this purpose as are used for heating the houses. While a larger part of the large ranges of houses are heated with steam, some of the largest are heated with hot water. A ten-acre range of houses near Toledo, Ohio, is heated with hot water which is pumped through 1 ¼ inch heating-pipes. The houses are 700 feet long and cover a width of over 7OO feet. There is but one heating- plant and it is located at the center of one side of the range. The heating-pipes are close to the ground and are nearly level from one end of the houses to the other. The water is pumped through the entire length of pipes in a very few minutes. The installation of this hot-water heating-plant cost little if any more than a steam heating-plant would have cost and it can be operated more cheaply than a steam plant which would be large enough to heat a range of houses of the same size.
Heating-pipes.—Practically all pipes used for heating purposes at the present time are of wrought-iron. They are threaded and can be united by screwing them into connections made for the purpose. This method of connecting furnishes a tight joint and can be easily put together. Two-inch pipes are used as a rule for hot-water heating with gravity means of circulating. For hot water with forced circulation and for steam, 1 ¼ inch pipes are generally considered the best size to use.
Benches vs. beds. — In nearly all vegetable-forcing centers, except Chicago, raised benches are no longer used except by an occasional grower. The cost of building the benches is so great that most growers think the added cost more than offsets the advantages of the benches over the beds. Cement benches when arranged for sub-irrigation are very satisfactory. They are especially desirable for lettuce and tomatoes. Surface-watered benches are not nearly so satisfactory for these crops as sub-irrigated benches. Ground beds are frequently made with concrete sides but the more recent plan is to have nothing but narrow concrete walks to separate one bed from another.
Service room.—One of the features which goes with an up-to-date vegetable-forcing plant is a conveniently arranged and well-lighted service room. Provision should be made for washing vegetables and for other operations which go with a proper preparation of the vegetables for the market.
Plant-house.—Another important adjunct to a modern forcing-house is a plant-house which is independent of the other part of the range so far as the heating of it is concerned. To grow young plants successfully, especially warm plants such as cucumbers and tomatoes, it is important to be able to provide the proper temperature for each kind of plant. This can be done to best advantage if the plants can be grown in a plant-house built especially for that purpose. C. W. Waid.
Greenhouse glass.
The selection of glass for greenhouses, and the nature of the imperfections which render it undesirable for such use, are questions which have received much attention from horticultural writers, and which have brought forth a variety of answers. Three qualities are essential in all glass to be used in greenhouse construction: first, minimum of obstruction to solar rays; second, strength sufficient to withstand the strain of winds and storms, especially hail; and third, freedom from defects that render it liable to burn plants grown under it.
It is an established fact that plants thrive best under a clear and transparent glass, which lets through the greatest possible percentage of the sun's rays. This includes all the solar rays, calorific or heat rays, and actinic or chemical rays, as well as the colorific or light rays. Clear white glass of the grade known as "single thick" (twelve panes to the inch) lets through from 60 to 70 per cent of the sun's rays; common green glass of the same thickness, 52 to 56 per cent, and "double thick" (eight panes to the inch) common green glass, from 50 to 52 per cent. This percentage is reduced by
other colors, dark blue glass letting through but 18 per cent. In connection with the matter of tint, it should be noted that some glass, especially clear white glass purified with arsenic acid, or that in which a large amount of potash is used in proportion to the amount of lime employed in manufacture, becomes dull after long exposure to the weather, the dullness being occasioned by the efflorescence of salts contained in the glass. Before this disintegration has proceeded too far, the crust or efflorescence may be removed with muriatic acid.
The strength of glass depends upon its thickness and upon the thoroughness of the annealing. Glass is annealed by passing through a series of ovens, where it is raised to a high heat and then gradually cooled; whatever toughness and elasticity the finished product may contain is due to this process. The thickness of glass varies, not only with grades (single and double thick), but also more or less within the grades, and even in different parts of the same pane. Single thick glass is too thin for use in greenhouses; in selecting any glass for such a purpose it should be examined pane by pane, and all showing marked variation in thickness, either between panes or in different parts of the pane, rejected. A pane of varying thickness is much more liable to breakage from climatic changes or sudden shocks than one which is uniform in this regard. From the foregoing statements it will be seen that, in general, the ordinary double-thick green glass is best as regards both tint and strength, green glass being less liable to change in tint than white, and the double-thick being the stronger grade. By green glass is meant simply the ordinary sheet glass, the green color of which is noticeable only at the cut edge.
It has long been a common opinion that such visible defects in sheet glass as the so-called "bubbles," "busters," and "stones," produce a focusing of the solar rays passing through them, thus burning the foliage of plants grown under glass containing these defects (Fig. 1759). This view has been held by glass manufacturers and horticulturists alike, and seems not to have been contradicted publicly until 1895 (Bulletin No. 95, Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, page 278). In view of the erroneousness of this theory, it is rather remarkable that it should have gained such prevalence. Nearly all bubbles and blisters are thinner in the middle than at the periphery, being thus concave rather than convex lenses, and actually diffusing the rays of light passing through them rather than producing destructive foci. While it is true that sand-stones or Knots in glass may produce foci, these points of focus scarcely ever exist more than a few inches from the surface of the glass; consequently, these defects can do no damage when occurring in roofs several feet distant from the growing plants below.
The only full and complete series of experiments on this subject in this country (conducted at the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, the Physical Laboratory of Cornell University, and a glass factory in Ithaca, New York, but yet unpublished) shows the true cause of the burning by glass to be the variation in thickness of the entire pane, or a portion of it, thus producing a prismatic or lens-like effect (Fig. 1760), which causes a more or less distinct focusing of the sun's rays at distances varying from 5 or 6 feet to 30 feet, or even more, from the glass.
This defect usually occurs along the side or end of the pane and is not visible to the eye, but it may be detected easily by using the micrometer caliper or by testing in the sunlight. It may be found in all kinds of glass, and is caused by the glass-blower while reducing the upper or pipe end of the cylinder from which sheet glass is made, thus facilitating the removal of the cap" or neck end of the cylinder, by which it is attached to the pipe while being blown. The defect, as already stated, is one which may be found in all grades and qualities of sheet glass, of both foreign and domestic manufacture. The fact is well known that differences in the thickness of spectacle lenses, which are imperceptible to the eye, may produce sufficient refraction to vary materially the direction of rays of light passing through such lenses, and it is not difficult to see that the same effect may be produced by similarly imperceptible variations in the thickness of sheet glass. That this is the case has been conclusively shown by the series of experiments mentioned above. These also show that burns on plants caused by defective glass roofs occur in lines and not in isolated spots, burns of the latter description being usually the result of a weakening or deterioration of tissue, due to carelessness in the matter of ventilation, humidity of the atmosphere, water, and temperature of greenhouses, rather than to defects in the glass.
If, therefore, it is not possible to secure glass of uniform thickness with certainty, it may be found cheaper and often fully as satisfactory to purchase the lower or common grades of double-thick glass, using in the roof only those panes which show, after testing in the sunlight for foci, an entire lack of the prismatic character which makes them dangerous to plants grown under them. J. C. Blair.
Greenhouse heating.
In all sections in which the temperature drops below the freezing point, it is necessary to provide some artificial means for heating greenhouses. Nearly all modern structures are warmed either by steam or hot water, although hot-air flues are occasionally used. While hot water is preferred for small ranges of glass, as it can be depended upon to furnish an even degree of heat when left for a number of hours, steam is very generally used for extensive plants, as the cost of piping the houses is much less than when hot water is used. Steam boilers require more attention than hot-water heaters, but when there is more than 10,000 or 12,000 square feet of glass, it is best to have a night fireman and watchman, and the extra expense can be made up by the saving in the cost of fuel, as it will be possible to use a lower grade of coal. Under these conditions the cost of running a steam plant will be as low as with hot water, but in small houses, where hard coal is used, and the fires receive no attention for six to eight hours during the night, hot-water heaters will be cheapest to operate, and will be most satisfactory. Some of the up-to-date ranges of the largest size make use of hot water and are able to secure a perfect circulation by the use of steam or electric pumps, which also make it possible to reduce the size of the piping, and as a higher temperature is maintained in the water, the amount of radiation required and consequently the cost of piping the houses is reduced practically to that in steam systems. Similar results can be secured in closed systems where some method of placing the water under pressure is used. See, also, under Forcing-houses, p. 1402. As the various flowers and vegetables grown under glass require different temperatures, the piping of greenhouses has to be varied accordingly. Thus, although it may vary from 3° to 5° for different varieties of the same species, our common plants require the following night temperatures: violets and lettuce, 45° to 55°; radishes and carnations, 50° to 55°; roses and tomatoes, 60° to 63°; cucumbers and stove plants, 70°.
Boilers.
For small ranges, whether steam or hot water is used for heating, the best boilers are those constructed of cast-iron as thev will be found more durable than those in which wrought-iron or steel is used. By using either vertical or horizontal sections, it is possible to build up boilers of considerable size, but, especially if to be used for steam heating, it will be preferable to use wrought-iron or steel boilers if they have a capacity of more than 2,000 square feet of radiation. Except for those of extremely large size, the ordinary tubular boilers will be found adapted both for steam and hot- water heating, although when used for hot water they will be more effectual if the entire shell is filled with tubes, as there is no occasion for leaving a steam space at the top of the boiler. Such boilers are of low cost, economical and durable.
There are also on the market several forms of wrought tubular boilers which are giving good results for heating greenhouses with hot water. For ranges of the largest size, where forced draft is used, water-tube boilers are extremely powerful and very satisfactory. When installing a heating-plant, it will be safest to use two or more boilers rather than one large one of the same capacity, as when there is only a single boiler serious losses may result if repairs to the boiler become necessary in extremely cold weather, which might be lessened or entirely prevented when there are two or more boilers in the battery, and it is possible to cut out the one which has become damaged. Especially in mild weather during the spring and fall, the firing will be more economical when it is possible to use a boiler just large enough to heat the houses, rather than one which is several times larger than is necessary' at that time, as would be the case when only one boiler is used. The durability of the boiler and the economy of heating will be greatly increased when the heating capacity is considerably larger than is really necessary, as when the firing is forced in extremely cold weather it will not only result in a loss both in fuel and labor, but will shorten the life of the boiler.
The size of hot water boilers is usually expressed in terms of radiation, or the number of square feet of heating surface it can supply economically. In a given boiler there is a fixed ratio between the size of the grate and the area of the fire surface of the boiler, but this will depend very largely upon its construction and efficiency of the fire surface, as well as upon the size of the boiler. In the case of small hot-water boilers the ratio between the grate and fire surface is often as small as 1 to 15, while it may be as much as 1 to 35 in larger ones, and even more when the boilers have frequent attention and hard coal is used. One reason for using a relatively large grate in small boilers is because it makes it possible to leave the fire for eight or ten hours without care or attention, while for large boilers and where a night fireman is employed, the ratio between the grate and fire surface may be much greater.
The capacity of steam boilers is usually rated in horse-power, and it is considered that for each horsepower a boiler will heat 100 square feet of radiation; an average of 15 square feet of fire surface is considered equal to one horse-power, it being customary to estimate that 10 or 12 feet in a large boiler will equal one horse-power, while in a very small one as much as 18 feet would be required. Thus, in medium-sized boilers an area of 10 square feet of grate will answer for 250 square feet of fire surface and this will be sufficient for about 1,700 square feet of radiating surface when steam is used; and as 75 to 100 per cent more radiation will be required when hot water is used, a boiler of the above size will answer for 2,800 to 3,400 square feet of hot-water radiation. In the case of small boilers that will not have attention at night, it is usually advisable to reduce the above estimates about 25 per cent, and when a boiler is required for 1,000 square feet of radiation, we should select one that is rated at 1,250 square feet.
Home-made coil boilers axe sometimes constructed for hot-water heating since the cost will generally be considerably less than for tubular boilers. As a rule, however, they will be found less durable and lacking in efficiency as compared with the better class of greenhouse boilers now on the market. For making such boilers, 2-inch wrought-iron pipe in lengths of 4 to 6 feet is used. Formerly 1-inch pipe was used for coil boilers but it is comparatively thin, and, especially where the threads were exposed it was quickly eaten through so that it proved far from being as durable as the larger sizes of pipe. There was also more trouble from the boiling over of the water than when larger pipes were used and if the boilers are constructed of 1-inch pipe it is necessary either to have an elevated expansion tank or run it as a closed system. In making a coil boiler, the pipes are cut of the desired length and the ends are connected either by return bends or by manifolds so as to form a number of vertical coils, each containing from six to ten pipes. The upper ends of the manifolds are joined at the front end of the heater and connected with the main flow-pipe; while the lower ends of the rear manifolds are joined to the returns. As a rule, the grate is of the same width as the coils and from one- half to two-thirds as long.
Although a box coil is much cheaper than a cast- iron heater, when we have added the cost of the grate, doors and other fittings, and of bricking it in, the amount saved will not oe large, and its use will often be found less economical, especially as the coil boilers are, as a rule, not more than one-half as lasting as cast- iron boilers, most of which are complete in themselves and require no brickwork or trimmings.
Hot-water piping.
When hot water first came into use for the heating of greenhouses, 4-inch cast-iron pipes were used, but, as the joints were packed with oakum, cement or iron filings, they frequently gave trouble by leaking and it was much more difficult to make changes or repairs than in the present systems for which small, wrought- iron pipes with screw joints are used. Owing to the large amount of water in the cast-iron pipes, the circulation was necessarily quite sluggish and it was not easy to secure the high temperature in the water that can be obtained with smaller pipes. Another objection to the use of these large pipes is that it is not possible to carry the flows overhead, while with smaller pipes one may not only have the flows but some or all of the return- pipes above the level of the benches. By elevating the pipes above the level of the boiler, the rapidity of the circulation and the temperature of the water in the pipes can be considerably increased.
In case a number of houses are to be supplied from one boiler, or if the heater is at some distance from the coils, it is better to start from the boiler with one large flow-pipe, or with two pipes leading from different Bides of the boiler, rather than carry an independent pipe to each house. When there are several houses to be heated, it is customary to have them side by side and one large flow-pipe can then be run across the nearest end of the houses from the boiler. If the houses run north and south, the boiler may be located at one corner or in the middle of the north end of the range, and either a work- or storeroom, or some other form of a head house, should be constructed in which the main heating-pipes can be carried, as well as to protect the north end of the houses and facilitate getting from one to another. Sometimes greenhouses run east and west, in which case there should either be a head house at the east end of the range, or if the houses are more than 200 feet in length it may be run through the center of the houses.
The size of the main feed-pipe as well as of the branch pipes should be in proportion to the amount of radiation they supply. In determining the amount that can be handled by pipes of different sizes, it is always advisable to use somewhat larger supply-pipes when all of the radiation, both flow and return, are under the benches, than when all of the flow-pipes, at least, are overhead. A similar allowance should be made when the boiler is partly above the level of the returns, as compared with systems in which the coils are a number of feet above the top of the boiler, since in the latter case a much smaller supply-pipe will suffice. In a general way, the following sizes can be used as supply-pipes:
Size of pipe Square feet of radiation.
1 ½ inch 75 to 100
2 inch 150 to 200
2 ½ inch 250 to 350
3 inch 400 to 300
3 ½ inch 600 to 800
4 inch 1,000 to 1,200
5 inch 1,500 to 2,000
6 inch 2,500 to 3,500
The main supply-pipe or pipes should, if possible, rise vertically from the heater to a point somewhat higher than the highest point in the system, and then as it runs out through the houses should be given a slight fall, say 1 inch in 20 feet, so that there will be no opportunity for the pocketing of air in the pipe. While a slight downward slope will unquestionably give better results than the uphill arrangement which is sometimes used, the difference will be comparatively slight and, if the circumstances make it preferable to run the flow-pipes uphill, satisfactory results will be obtained provided they are considerably elevated above the boiler. Especially, if the flow-pipes run uphill, it will be advisable to have them of good size.
When taking off the supply for each of the houses, one large pipe of a size sufficient to provide the amount needed may be used, or from two to five smaller pipes may lead from the main flow-pipe into each of the houses. For houses up to 250 feet in length, it will generally be found desirable to run 2 1/2 -inch flow-pipes through the house, but for longer houses 3-inch flow- pipes should be used. Just how many flow-pipes will be needed will depend not only upon the length of the house, but upon the number of return-pipes to be supplied. Thus, while a 2 1/2 inch flow will supply two 2-inch returns in a house 250 feet long, the number of returns which it will feed in shorter houses will be nearly in inverse proportion to the length of the return coils. When the amount of radiation to be supplied does not exceed 250 to 350 square feet, one 2 1/2-inch flow-pipe in a greenhouse will be sufficient and this should preferably be placed from 1 to 3 feet below the ridge. For slightly larger houses, two flow-pipes may be located on the wall plates. If as many as five pipes are necessary, the fourth and fifth pipe may be suspended from the roof under the middle of the sash-bars. In the case of houses so large that more than five 2 1/2 -inch flow- pipes are required, 3-inch flows should be used.
The length of the coils and their height above the boiler will determine the size of the pipe which should be used for the returns, since a smaller size will answer in short coils and in those that are considerably elevated than for long coils which are but little, if any, above the level of the boiler. For the construction of coils 75 feet or more in length, 2-inch pipe should be used, and it will generally be found preferable to a smaller-sized return-pipe when they are only 50 feet in length, especially if the flows are under the benches or when the coils are below the top of the boiler. For short coils, pipes as small as 1 ¼ th inch may be used where they are somewhat elevated but for ordinary commercial greenhouses it will be better to use 2-inch pipe for the returns, although 1 ½ inch pipe might answer in houses up to 75 feet in length, as, while small pipe furnishes the most effective radiation to the square foot, the increased friction impedes the circulation.
In narrow houses, the return-pipes may be placed upon the side walls, but as the width increases it will be generally advisable to have from one-third to one- half of the returns either under the benches or in the walks when beds are used. From the fact that running the pipes overhead will not only improve the circulation but will prevent cold draughts of air upon the plants, it is often desirable when but one overhead flow-pipe is used to bring back one return upon each of the purlins. When the end of the house is much exposed, it is an excellent plan to drop down one feed - pipe from the end of the main, or two when there is a door in the end of the house, and supply coils running in either direction to the corner of the house and thence along the walls toward the end where the heater is located. Particularly when the pipes are but little, if any, above the top of the boiler, the circulation will be improved by carrying the return-pipes as high as possible, but of course care should be taken when they are under the benches not to have them so high that they will dry out the soil.
The returns may be arranged in horizontal coils under the benches, or in vertical coils on the walls, or on the sides and supports of the beds and benches. The pipes in the coils may be connected at their ends either by means of manifolds, or by tees and close nipples, but in either case provision should be made for