iSyi.] STOKING AND VENTILATING. 363 



the top of the house is necessarily the warmest part, and that, conse- 

 quently, air should be admitted there first, and in greater proportion ; 

 but there is no greater fallacy, under certain conditions. In an un- 

 heated house, when the sun shines upon it, the air is always warmest 

 near the apex of the roof : but in a vinery, we will say, where the 

 heating apparatus is carried along the front of the house, that is the 

 warmest part, and the place where air should be admitted first, and in 

 greatest quantity. I quite expect some one will combat this idea, but 

 let them satisfy themselves by experiment. We have long practised 

 what we describe, being guided, of course, by the direction of the 

 wind, and its force ; but as a rule, in our high-pitched vineries and 

 other houses, where the laps in the glass are open, we admit a limited 

 amount of air at the tops, and afterwards regulate by the front shutters. 

 In our lean-to Pine-pits, with sliding lights and heated in the usual 

 way in front, we got rid of hot-pipes on a sunny day by pulling the 

 lights up from the front, allowing the hot current from the pipes to 

 escape into the open air direct, instead of allowing it to pass over the 

 plants to the back, thereby robbing the air of its moisture. Indeed, 

 we ventilate our Pine-pits more freely at front than back, generally, 

 and, I think I may say, with the best results. Since we practised the 

 plan of regulating the temperature of our late vineries principally by 

 the front ventilators, and reducing the top air to a minimum, we have 

 had little or no scorching, so called, of the foliage, to which such Vines 

 as the Alicant are very subject, particularly at the points of the young 

 shoots j and which, we are quite convinced, is caused by cold draughts 

 more than anything else. 



As regards stoking, the first thing we ought to realise, but which we 

 are very apt to lose sight of — so accustomed are we to rely upon hot- 

 water pipes or flues — is, that the fire is only a necessary evil, to be 

 dispensed with on all possible occasions. We cannot, however, do 

 altogether without it, and have to rely upon it almost wholly at times. 

 Hence stoking, both on the score of economy and success, is a ques- 

 tion, we think, of more importance than boilers ; for the best boiler, in 

 the hands of an ignorant fireman, may only be an instrument of waste. 

 The coal bill is always a heavy item of the expenditure, and it is to a 

 great extent under the control of the fireman. Some men will keep up 

 temperature with nearly a third less fuel than others, and with far less 

 labour to themselves, simply by exercising a little intelligence and 

 method ; and studying the weather, so far as it relates to their opera- 

 tions. It is a common practice with the inexperienced, in their ner- 

 vous anxiety to get up heat, to heap on fuel as fast as the fire sub- 

 sides, forgetting that by keeping the fire continually green they are 

 only defeating their object, and consuming coal to no purpose. The 



