THE GRAPE IN VINERIES. 



lar volume of cold air were permitted to pour directly into the room, the health of all would 

 be endangered. With this apparatus for supplying pure, warm air, and Aruott's chimney 

 valve for carrying it off as it becomes vitiated, should we not have a simple, economical, 

 and efficient mode of warming and ventilating country houses? 



The only practical difficulty in it which has occurred to me is, that with such a current 

 of cold air continually surrounding the inner stove, there might not be sufficient heat ra- 

 diated to warm the room. Perhaps, however, the warm air pouring out from the top of 

 the sheet iron case would accomplish this. If it would furnish 60" or 65'^ Fahr., it would 

 give as high a temperature as a person ought to live and sleep in during the extreme cold 

 and fluctuations of our northern winters. Please give us your opinion as to the practica- 

 bility of the plan above suggested. Respectfully yours, A. D. G. 



Clinton, N. Y. 



Remarks. — What our correspondent suggests is a great improvement on that popular 

 abomination — the common stove. Just such a ventilating stove, is, in fact, already in use 

 in the common schools of Boston — " Clark's Patent ventilating Stove," (described in our 

 " Country Houses," p. 471.) 



But the real difficulty in all stoves lies in the high temperature to which the surface of 

 hot iron, which forms the stove itself, is liable to be heated, and the certainty with which 

 hot iron robs the air of its purity, when so heated. If a stove could be invented which, in- 

 stead of heating the air by presenting a surface of hot iron, backed by red-hot coal or 

 wood, did so by presenting a surface backed by hot water — or, in other words, if the iron 

 stove were cased with a thin space of water all round, and the radiated heat came from 

 this surface of boiler, which could never be heated above boiling point, and would, there- 

 fore, never rob the air of its purity — such a stove, with the supply of pure air introduced 

 as our correspondent points out, would be perfect, quite healthful, and satisfactory. 



Much the most genial and healthful temperature yet attained, is that from hot water 

 pipes, or steam pipes. We notice, with pleasure, that the Astor House, and many of the 

 large hotels and steamboats, are of late heated in this way. Some of the manufactories 

 are endeavoring to invent a boiler and pipes sufficientl)^ compact and cheap, to answer as 

 a substitute for the common furnace, in heating houses. It is undoubtedl}'^ true, that 

 enough heat is wasted in the kitchen flue of many dwelling houses, to heat the whole 

 house most completely and salubriously, if it could be made to heat a hot water appara- 

 tus, connected with a system of ventilation, by which all the heat could be retained in the 

 house. Patience, and continual experiment, will, Ave trust, bring about this desirable re- 

 sult, for, with the exception of the Russians, no civilized people breathe so much poison- 

 ous air, as we Americans of the present day. Ed. 



THE GRAPE IN VINERIES. 



BY T. W. L. Jr., YONKERS, N. Y. 



Is there any rule for the distance of grape vines from the glass in different latitudes? 



From my own experience in this part of the state, I would recommend about nine inch- 

 es, but in a more southern climate, where the sun is more powerful, and there is a longer 

 continuance of heat, I am afraid this is too close, and maj' injure the vines. Some of m}"- 

 correspondents in the state of Virginia, are anxious to put up warm and cold graperies, 



you have any information on this point, you will confer a favor by replying 

 communication. 



