File:The American florist - a weekly journal for the trade (1909) (18141422481).jpg

Title: The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade
Identifier: americanfloristw40amer (find matches)
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: American Florists Company
Subjects: Floriculture; Florists
Publisher: Chicago : American Florist Company
Contributing Library: UMass Amherst Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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igog. The American Florist. 1057 Bench Construction for the Rose House. TWO USEFUL WOODE^J BEXCIIES. In order to have our benched stock of winter-forcing roses do their very best, it is essential to have properly constructed benches under them and, in the illustration here presented, we have two styles of bench conitruction which we have found to be satisfactory all around and a practical method of building insuring plenty of drainage and so constructed as to give long life to the lumber. In Fig. 1 is shown the raised bench that can be made any height desirable. The face boards are 9xl-inch cypress, dressed on outside; the bottom boards are lx6-inch, spaced % of an inch apart; the legs are 2x3 Georgia pine or cypress, spaced four feet apart on centers, resting on brick foundations at the bottom, raised so that the wood does not touch the ground. Small cement piers under each leg 5 inches square makes the best foundation, and a stringer laid on these of 2x3 scantling, laid ilat side down, running parallel with the top string- ers, will greatly add to the appearance of the benches, as well as strengthen them, and they will last longer. It will be noticed that in Fdg. 1 there is a nailing block coming between the face board and stringer; these blocks are placed at the joints and spaced four feet apart, and they help very much to stiffen up the facing. The bottom boards extend beyond the stringer two inches, and the nailing blocks being about eight inches long, cut from 2x3 stock, when nailed on the stringer the 2-inch way, come fair with the bottom boards so that the sides can be nailed to both. Fig. 2 represents the side elevation of this bench. The sides of both benches. Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 extend five inches above the tops of the bench bottom, allowing in other words five inches of soil to plant in which we have found to be about right if packed quite firmly when being filled. Fig. 3, for a low bench, is very eco- nomical and durable, the bottom being supported by IxG-inch cypress resting on small piers or bricks; the edges of the supports cover so little wood when the nailing surface is only an inch that the life of the bench is great- ly prolonged, and to gain head room we find this style of bench very useful. The supports should extend % of an Inch beyond the two outside bottom boards, to allow for drainage at the sides, and by nailing a strip on each side of the supports at the joints of the facing and eight feet apart, as shown by the dotted lines (Fig. 3), this will keep the sides from warping and stiffen the construction through- out. Benches of this construction we have had last seven years with slight re- pairs, and these benches were con- structed of common cypress. If pecky cypress had been used undoubtedly the life of the benches would have been extended several seasons longer. The benches should be washed thoroughly after removing the soil, and as soon as they become dry apply a coat of lime wash while hot; otherwise the benches will decay much more rapidly. One advantage the raised bench (.Fig. 1) has over the other is that it allows for bottom heat, as the pipes can be easily supported under them by nail- ing a crosspiece 1x3 inches at every other post, the posts, of course, being opposite each other, the heat keeping the bottom boards much drier. At the same time the low bench has been con- structed so as to absorb the least possible amount of moisture, and both will be found to give good results in every way. E. benches in movable sections? Per- sonally, all things considered, and un- less there were very good reasons for a movable bench, we would be strong- ly in favor of a concrete bench made in permanent form, for all large and medium sized establishments. COMMERCIAI..
Text Appearing After Image:
JFifflSj, ^.^n^r^ BENCH CONSTRUCTION FOR THE ROSE HOUSE. Two I'seful and Lasting Wooden Benches. Concrete Benches for Roses. Without a doubt concrete benches are here to stay. As far as the writer has had opportunity of observing in other places, there has been no single instance when they have been put in and have not turned out satisfactorily while, as far as our own experience counts, we have had perfect results with them. There are always to be found people who will run down any- thing new no matter how good it is. Such people say that the wooden bench was good enough for their fathers and should be good enough for them as it has always grown good stock. But the man who thought his old boat was safe was drowned. Thei'e are circumstances under which the wood bench may be chosen especially when lumber is cheap and to hand while freight rates on cement are high. But we think we are well within the mark in saying that in the great majority of cases concrete benches are better, because more lasting and needing no repairs. Certainly good roses, quite as good as the best produced on wood benches, can be grown on concrete and after all this is the main point at issue. There has been quite a little dis- cussion among growers as to the merits of a movable bench over a permanent one. Readers of Dickens will remember Mr. Dick's reply to a criticism on his room to the effect that one "couldn't swing a cat round." The chronicler with whose work King Charles' head so interfered very naive- ly remarked that he "didn't want to swing a cat." And so it is with the cement or concrete bench. With a properly planned bench system under a well constructed, lasting roof the probability is that the benches once fixed will remain in place for a num- ber of yeai-s, as long as the house lasts. Why then go to more expense in erecting temporary benches or House for American Beauty Roses. Ed. American Florist :— Will you be so kind as to tell me what height a greenhouse should be if it is 40 feet wide and 150 feet long to get the best results out of the north benches? Please state how high the side walls should be, also the height of ridge. Also tell me the number of 2-inch pipes it will take to heat it with hot water for American Beauty roses and best width for benches. A. B. The height of the greenhouse will vary somewhat with the arrangement of the beds or benches. In most cases it would answer if the walls are six to eight feet above the level of the walks and, for a house of this width, the ridge should be 18 to 20 feet high, ac- cording to the height of the walls. In arranging the piping it will be well to use two 3-inch mains upon the walls and four 2%-inch flows distribvted through the house. It will then re- quire twenty-four 2-inch pipes for the returns. Six can be upon each of the walls to be supplied by the 3-inch mains. The others can be in four coils of three pipes each, and connected with the 2V2-inch flow pipes. A house 40 feet wide will accommodate six beds four and one-half feet wide. It will be well to have two of the walks two feet wide, but 20 inches will answer for the others. L. R. T. AXLENTOWN, Pa.—E. Kroninger is building two new houses of Lord & Burnham Go.'s construction, each 50x 400 feet. All the latest improvements in construction are being installed. ViNCENNES, IND. W. A. Reiman complains that people ride out to his peony farm in automobiles and car- riages and steal the flowers. People who can afford automobiles, he thinks, ought to be able to pay for what peonies they want.

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