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The most novel of the various greenhouse exhibits are the two curious
structures made of the Falconnier glass bricks. These bricks are
essentially bottles without an opening, and blown in such shapes that they
fit well into the designs of the builder. As a rule, the interior hollow
is about large enough to hold a quart of liquid. The bricks are generally
flattened, but the two broad sides are usually raised into a cone-like
shape, in order to present various surfaces to the incident rays of the
sun and to break the force of hail and shocks. The narrower sides are two
or three inches wide and are trough-shaped to hold the cement or mortar
with which the bricks are joined. The bricks are laid by a mason in much
the same manner as ordinary bricks are laid, and the entire arch of the
greenhouse-roof supports itself without posts, rafters or braces. The roof
and sides are, therefore, a continuous sheet of glass. These bricks have
been well tested in parts of Europe, and they are found to conserve heat
one-half, to render the temperature of the houses uniform and to prevent
all scalding of the plants. Considering the fact that no framework is
required, a house can be built of this material about as cheaply as in
the common fashion. Most greenhouse-men who have seen the two little
exhibition-houses at Chicago will, no doubt, feel that they are too
dark for the growing of Roses and the forcing of vegetables; but the
exhibitors say that for such houses the bricks are made of clear bright
glass, while these are made of bottle glass. It is the desire of the
inventor to manufacture the bricks in this country. They recommend them
for sky-lights, porch-roofs, photographers' studios, propagating-pits,
and the like. These bricks are the invention of Mr. Falconnier, of Nyon,
Switzerland. The prices quoted in France last year were twenty-four
francs per 100, and about fifty are required for a square meter.
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