1883.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



original single flower is not shown in Mr. Schmidt's 

 article.— Ed. G. M.] 



COST OF STEAM HEATING. 

 BY AUGUST D. MYLIUS, DETROIT, MICH. 



I have had many inquiries about heating with 

 steam during the summer and autumn. To an- 

 swer all would take much time, and perhaps 

 would not satisfy every one. I can say that steam 

 heating will, 1 think, give more satisfaction uni- 

 formly than hot water or any other form of heat- 

 ing. At -least, 1 am well satisfied with mine. I 

 have two boilers in use now. It is best for those 

 wishing to put in steam to get a good steani-fitter 

 to do the job, and have him warrant everything to 

 work satisfactorily. I had my steam-fitting done 

 by a good mechanic . who warranted his work to 

 give satisfaction, and so it did. There are good 

 steam-fitters in every city who can do the same. 

 The price for steam heating is about one-third less 

 than hot water and gives just as good or better 

 satisfaction. Those who intend to put in steam 

 should see or write to a steam-fitter, tell him how 

 many and how large are the houses you wish to 

 heat. Better to show him the houses before 

 making a contract; then he can give an exact esti- 

 mate of cost to fit them with steam. The boiler 

 should be ordered by the steam-fitter, w^ho knows 

 just what is needed. One of my boilers is from 

 Pierce & Co., Buffalo, N. Y. It is an upright, 

 extra made for heating purposes. The other is a 

 horizontal boiler, made in Detroit by Stephen 

 Pratt. The first cost, complete, $400 ; the second 

 cost (boiler alone, no fixings) $200. Of course the 

 first heats double as much as the other. The two 

 heat six large houses. All complete in heating 

 order, pipes, boilers, &c., cost me for the six houses 

 about $1,500. The houses are 64x24 feet each. 



PHARBITIS LEARII. 



BY CHARLES E. PARNELL. 



Pharbitis Learii, or as it is more generally known 

 and cultivated under the name of Ipomoea Learii, 

 is a splendid evergreen climbing or twining plant, 

 belonging to the natural order Convolvulacae. It 

 is a native of the beautiful and fertile island of 

 Ceylon, from whence it was introduced in 1839. 

 It is a beautiful evergreen species, attaining a 

 height of from twenty-five to thirty-five feet, the 

 shrubby stem being covered with a hairy pubes- 

 cence. The leaves are variable in form ; most 

 frequently they are cordate, but occasionally they 



are three-lobed and of a deep green color above, 

 while underneath they are covered with a whitish 

 pubescence, and the beautiful deep purple-blue 

 flowers are produced in clusters from the extremi- 

 ties of the lateral shoots. They are very abund- 

 antly produced during the season. In color they 

 are of a rich deep purplish-blue, with five con- 

 spicuous bands of a lighter hue. 



Although this plant is usually described as a 

 greenhouse climber, yet for training on pillars or 

 trellis work in the open air during the summer sea- 

 son its value is beyond all question. Good, strong 

 plants, placed in a well-prepared border, grow with 

 extreme rapidity and great luxuriance, and soon 

 cover an extensive space and produce flowers in 

 immense quantities ; and it is a fact worthy of re- 

 membrance that this plant will stand our hot, dry 

 summer without sustaining the least injury, and is, 

 moreover, perfectly free from all insect pests. 



In order to flower this pretty climber to perfec- 

 tion in the open air during the summer season, a 

 good, strong plant should be placed in a well-pre- 

 pared border about the tenth of May, where, with 

 a little attention as to training and watering, it will 

 soon produce very satisfactory results. On the 

 approach of frost it can be cut back, taken up and 

 carefully potted, and if placed in the greenhouse in 

 a temperature of 48" or 50-^ and a light situation, it 

 will be found to be of value for another season. 



The Pharbitis can also be grown as a green- 

 house climber where it will produce very satis- 

 factory results, if given an abundance of room 

 for its roots, a compost, of two-thirds well-rotted 

 sods, one-third well-rotted manure, and during 

 its season of growth an abundance of water at 

 the roots. At this time also it should be freely 

 and frequently syringed. After its flowering sea- 

 son is over it should be well cut back, and during 

 the winter water should be sparingly given. 



The Pharbitis can be easily propagated both by 

 seeds and cuttings ; cuttings are best taken from 

 the extremities of the flowering shoots. By this 

 method the plants will flower much sooner, for if 

 the cuttings are taken from the lower branches 

 they will be found to require a considerable quan- 

 tity of space before they produce many flowers. 

 The seed can be sown in a well-drained pot of 

 light sandy soil at any season of the year, the 

 preferable time being March or April. Keep the 

 soil moist and shade from bright sunshine, and as 

 soon as the young plants become strong enough 

 to handle, carefully transplant into four-inch pots 

 and keep close and moist until well established ; 

 then gradually expose to the air, shift into larger 



