78S ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The Digbt fireman must watch the temperature closely. Mauy es- 

 tablishments are fitted up with electric thermostats to warn the pro- 

 prietor or the manager or foreman whec the temperature is too 

 low or too high; this fact keeps many firemen on the alert when 

 they would otherwise be indifferent and become careless. Self-reg- 

 istering maximum and minimum thermometers are sometimes used 

 for the same purpose securely locked in a case so that they cannot 

 be tampered with. There are several details to be attended to 

 personally by the fireman besides shoveling 0*1 coal and keeping up 

 steam. A pipe has to be **shut off'" at this house, or a ''crack of 

 air" admitted through the medium of the ventilating apparatus, 

 or an additional pipe "turned on" in another house in order to keep 

 the atmosphere at the desired temperature. As before referred to, 

 there is an automatic ventilating apparatus in use which is giving 

 general satisfaction. 



As to the fuel, whether it is best to use anthracite or bituminous 

 coal, crude oil or natural gas must be determined by individuals for 

 themselves. Natural gas, when same may be depended upon in un- 

 limited supply, would be my owm individual preference. No shovel- 

 ing on coal, no cleaning of the fires, no ashes to take out. What a 

 boon! 



In and near to Philadelphia there is quite a lot of what is called 

 "buckwheat" anthracite or hard coal used. This buckwheat coal, 

 how^ever, is only used where steam is the heating medium. Some 

 others within the city limits use coke, a by-product in the manufacture 

 of illuminating gas, while still others are using bituminous or soft 

 coal; the latter has its decided disadvantages on account of the dense 

 smoke and the resultant ''blacks," entering the greenhouses through 

 the ventilators which are very damaging to all classes of flowers, es- 

 pecially the whites and other delicate tints, and by falling upon the 

 glass more or less shade is produced, something to be avoided in the 

 growing of flowers in the winter season when every ray of sunlight 

 should be allowed to come through the glass unobstructed. 



When a battery of boilers is arranged conveniently in a central 

 position or as nearly so as possible, and the greenhouses radiate 

 therefrom, one man can attend to a much larger place and better 

 than he otherwise could. With all essential conveniences for a night 

 man, he can attend to 75,000 square feet of glass in ordinary weather, 

 but when severely cold, an extra man would have to be brought in to 

 assist. When it is impracticable to put in an automatic ventilating 

 apparatus, and the place is large enough to warrant the expense of 

 an additional man to look after the temperature of the houses, then 

 the fireman may remain at the boilers all the time and have nothing 

 to do or think about except to keep up the neceesary steam pres- 

 sure to assure a complete circulation of heat to the remotest corner of 

 the establishment. 



