266 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[September, 



pressure would be very little, — in fact, we fail to 

 see how there could be any. We understand 

 what Mr. S. means, but does not express, viz. : 

 that a body of water will retain heat longer than 

 a body of steam ; that there is two hundred times 

 as much heat in the water as is in the steam we 

 very much doubt ; but one thing is certain, and 

 that is, if Mr. S.'s figures be correct, then it took 

 two hundred times as much fuel to heat the wa- 

 ter as it took to make the steam, or to put the 

 heat into the steam. 



The whole thing may be said in a few words. 

 Our creed is as follows, viz.: That it is cheaper 

 to boil a small quantity of water and keep it 

 boiling, than to heat a larger body of water and 

 keep it hot ; and some day not in the far future, 

 steam will supersede hot water as a heating 

 medium. 



We have combined the two in part of our 

 houses in such a manner that if hot water has 

 any advantages we may have the benefit, and at 

 the same time save in many ways by making 

 our water hot by steam. As yet, we can see 

 nothing in favor of the water, while the advan- 

 tages of steam are many. By heating a range of 

 houses wholly by steam, the first cost would be 

 much less, as only one half as much material 

 would be required ; it would also be found to be 

 economical in all ways compared with hot water. 



Large ranges of glass are now heated by ten 

 or fifteen hot water boilers, some, we believe, re- 

 quiring more. The whole work can be done 

 by two fires. Think of the time spent running 

 about from place to place looking after the ten 

 or fifteen fires. We are not theorizing ; we are 

 merely telling our experience, and Mr. Salter 

 must excuse us if we do not give his theories that 

 attention which they may seem to deserve. Nor 

 do we believe that a greenhouse can be heated 

 without fuel ; as, in our estimation, a few tons of 

 coal more or less amount to nothing, so long as 

 we burn it profitably to ourselves. In a well 

 constructed apparatus the more coal that is 

 burned the more heat we should get; and when 

 we have heat enough we can stop the coal sup- 

 ply of the fire. If Mr. S. should happen in Bos- 

 ton we would be happy to show him our steam 

 heating apparatus, and shall hope to be able 

 to convert him to the true faith. 



P. S. — Since writing the above we have re- 

 ceived the August number of the Gardener's 

 Monthly, and wish to say that Mr. Bochman is 

 the " adventurous spirit," and we wish to take 

 his hand through the G. M. 



SASH BARS. 



I!Y W. L. SMITH, AURORA, ILL. 



I would like to occupy a small portion of space 

 in your valuable colunnis in calling attention to a 

 new style of sash bar, of which I enclose a small 

 section for your inspection. My attention was 

 first called to this as an improvement, by an article 

 in the Gardeners' Chronicle, in which the merits 



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of this style (or something similar) were illustra- 

 ted and commented on. Its excellence at once 

 struck me, and I set about finding some one to 

 manufacture a lot for my own use. In this I 

 experienced considerable difficulty, many of the 

 sash men saying they knew of no tool that would 

 make a groove of this kind ; but was finally suc- 

 cessful, and should any of your readers exper- 

 ience the same difficulty, will be pleased to give 

 them the names of the parties who are making 

 them for me. 



I might enlarge considerably on the merits of 

 this bar with the side grooves for carrying off the 

 water, but doubtless you and all others interested 

 in the construction of greenhouses will appre- 

 ciate them fully without further remarks from 

 me. 



[Bars like these noted by Mr. Smith, have been 

 in common use about Philadelphia for some 

 years, where the sash factories have had the 

 proper tools to make' them. They are highly 

 appreciated by those who know their value, and 

 it will be a service to Wesfern plant growers to 

 know that they can be had there now as well as 

 here. We have marked by white lines a por- 

 tion that would be better cut away. It would 

 add materially to the light of the house without 

 interfering much with the strength of the bar. 

 Perhaps the upper part would be better sloped 

 for the same reason, though we never saw 

 it done. It would weaken the bar but little, 



