Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-12-03
EIGURE L

know family in which three years ago
were boy Of sixteen and girl of fourteen.
The homestead was four or five miles from
the limits of big city, and the children
wanted to have the advantages offered by
the city schools; but the family purse WAS
too lean to admit of the necessary expendi-
ture. In some way the children made up
their minds that they could make money
raising flowers. They set about it with
earnestness of purpose and they succeeded
beyond their fondest expectations.
Their beginning was made on a capital
of less than 500, loaned to them by their
father. One hundred and twenty-five of
it they spent on their greenhouse and
with the rest they purchased plants. The
greenhouse which they started with is
shown in Fig. 1. 1t was constructed
wholly by the father and son, with no ex-
pense for skilled labor. This winter, so
greatly has their business grown, they will
have a new and more commodious green
house, which is shown in Fig. 2. The new
structure is one of the best, but even it
will not be an enormously expensive in
vestment
Their first greenhouse was built at the
side of the dwelling. 1t was in fact, a glass
IA
the dining room into it. Near this door
stood the dining room stove, and by leav-
ing the door open at night and at intervals
through the day, all the heat necessary for
the plants was obtained during the whole
of the first winter.
The little greenhouse was feet high
where it joined the dwelling and sloped
until its outer edge was only feet above
the ground Its length was 10 feet. The
walls consisted of locust posts set feet
apart with their lower ends below the
reach of frost, and sheathed inside and
out with tongued and grooved white pine
A layer of waterproof building paper was
nailed over the outer sheathing and this in
turn was covered with 6-inch beveled white
pine siding. The open space between the
studs and sheathing served as a noncon.
ductor, and this air cushion did more to
keep out frost than brick wall would
have done.
The vertical sash at the sides was mere
ly stock window sash, hinged at the top
and arranged to open outwardly, with suit
able wrought iron fastenings to hold in
position as desired. The roof was built of
grooved strips placed the width of a pane
VI sieoS uPhLU, duu Uu0 SldSS WAS Helu III
place by double pointed tacks driven over
each corner. When the glass had been
well secured in this way the joints were
filed with white lead and putty mixed
with boiled linseed soil. One section of
the roof as well as one on each of the three
sides was arranged to open for ventilation.
The entrance from the dwelling to the
greenhouse was closed by two half glass
doors with a space of or inches be-
tween them. The floor of the greenhouse
was of earth wet down, well rammed, and
the top made level and smooth Such
floor, after the plants have been watered
few times, will give off moisture constantly
and help to keep the plants in good con-
dition. The benches or shelves on which
the flower pots were placed were about
21S feet above the floor, with step for the
accommodation of additional pots along
the side. In the center of the room was
table or platform, and in this way space
afforded for several hundred plants.