i883.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



199 



The tenacity of the material, when properly laid, 

 and its freedom from liability to damage by the 

 weather are proved by reference to an example in 

 the coping of a retaining wall which has been ex- 

 posed for four years to the drainage of a slope 33 

 feet high. This coping is still perfectly sound and 

 has not required any repair since it was laid down. 

 Other works have proved equally satisfactory. In 

 applying this mortar, as it is termed, the space to 

 be covered is first thoroughly dried, and after being 

 well cleaned is primed with hot roofing varnish, the 

 basis of which is also tar. The mortar is then laid 



on cold, to the thickness of about three-eighths of 

 an inch, with either wood or steel trowels, and is 

 properly smoothed over. If the area covered is 

 large, another coating of varnish is applied and 

 rough sand strewn over the whole. The water- 

 proof surface thus made is perfectly impregnable 

 to rain or frost, and practically indestructible. The 

 cost of the material laid is estimated at not more 

 than ten cents per square foot, and it is stated that 

 this price can be reduced, by at least two cents 

 for large quantities put down by experienced 

 workmen." 



Greenhouse and House Gardening, 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



STEAM HEATING. 

 BY AUGUST D. MVLIUS, DETROIT, MICHIGAN. 



In your February number, Mr. E. Holley, Hud- 

 son, N. Y., asks for information concerning steam 

 heating. The use of steam for heating green- 

 houses is comparatively new, and those who 

 desire to use it will probably find it the cheaper 

 plan to see the different establishments that use 

 steam or have a good steam fitter to do all the 

 work ; give written contracts and warrant every- 

 thing to satisfaction, rather than attempt the 

 fixing themselves. 



My own experience was a dear one, costing over 

 $5,000. I have two boilers, combined about 25 to 

 28 horse-power. They heat six greenhouses, 64 

 by 22 feet each and dwelling with eight large 

 rooms ; each room has a heater similar to heaters 

 in public buildings in large cities. This dwelling 

 is connected by a narrow hallway with shed of 

 greenhouses. The hired hands have their rooms 

 connected with this shed. The main steam pipe 

 goes through these rooms to the dwelling. My 

 experience shows that the horizontal boilers are 

 best for greenhouse heating. The upright boilers 

 are well enough in hotels, boarding houses and 

 large dwellings, where they can be put in the 

 cellar. In greenhouses they would have to be 

 low enough to keep pipes 2% feet to 3 feet 

 above the water line. Of course pipes must be 

 above the water line on the horizontal boiler as 



well, but on account of it being a horizontal, 'X 

 does not need to be so deep in the ground. One 

 of our florists here has a self-working sucker on 

 the boiler, so the boiler can be put on the level 

 ground, and pipes are all below the water line. 

 This sucker (or whatever it may be called) draws 

 all water in the pipes back to boiler and leaves the 

 steam dry. So far this works well, and if it never 

 gets out of order it would be good for those who 

 cannot have the boiler deep enough on account of 

 water. Greenhouses the size of mine must have 

 eight to ten one inch pipe all around in each 

 greenhouse to keep it 60° to 65"^, when it is 15O 

 below zero outside. I have main pipe four feet 

 above water-line, running through shed, and each 

 house connected with one pipe i^-inch from the 

 main, which is two-inch. This pipe is connected 

 with a coil of four one-inch pipes all around walk 

 back to shed where the four pipes are connected 

 to a manifold, the same as the connection to a 

 manifold where it starts from the main pipe. The 

 manifold at the end of the pipes has an air-cock on 

 top; underneath is the return of one-inch to the 

 boiler, or a main return can be led back to boiler 

 in the form of a two-inch pipe, and all small one- 

 inch returns connected to this. All my houses 

 are now arranged with pipes as above. As to how 

 long steam will last, or how often a boiler must be 

 looked after, night or day, any one can see that a 

 steam boiler must be looked to more than a hot 

 water one. When fire goes down steam goes 

 down too. A steam boiler must be looked after at 

 least every three hours in a cold snap like we had 



