466 



HORTICULTURE 



November 4, 1905 



is a very good thing that the unintentional cause of this 

 murmuring is so soon to cud his official connection with 

 the society. 



It will then be possible for the dissatisfied gentlemen 

 to select a secretary who will always be on hand with a 

 large exhibit, whether the society meets in Boston or St. 

 Louis. 



Secretary C. S. A. 

 'Richmond, Indianu, Oct.. :.'Jf, 1905. 



Boilers and Boiler Inspection 



Gardeners from the other side of the water are 

 familiar with the old saddle boiler in use a good many 

 years ago, a typo which is in use at most of the private 

 places over there yet, and all will remember the stoke 

 holes. Those were the days when the apprentice had to 

 take out the ashes and help the journeyman whose week 

 it was on the fires to get in a supply of coal, and he 

 considered it an honor if he was allowed to try his hand 

 at firing. A kindly foreman would often take the ap- 

 prentice in hand and give him an insight into the work- 

 ings of the boiler. I was always interested in this class 

 of work and often would go down from the bothy and 

 see the fires banked for the night. In after years I was 

 as much interested when I had to do it myself. 



But my first experience with steam was in the Waban 

 Kose Conservatories nearly twenty years ago. It was 

 here thai I learned the rudiments of steam heating. I 

 have read everything I could on steam boilers, heating, 

 firing, etc., have got acquainted with engineers in shoe 

 shops and electric light stations, attended lectures 

 through courtesy of some of the engineers, and have 

 done everything to familiarize myself with steam for 

 both power and heating, and would today go a distance 

 to see a first-class boiler plant. Through the above way 

 I have gained a practical knowledge of steam boilers 

 and I advise every young man to study this branch of 

 the business thoroughly. The old saying is, "the boy 

 is the father of the man," and the young man of today 

 ought to gain a practical knowledge about steam boilers 

 and heating for it is ho who, in years to come, will fill 

 the places of the men, who will, by reason of natural 

 laws, be gone. To be a successful florist he must under- 

 stand this branch of the business thoroughly and be able 

 to show those under him how to get up steam quickly 

 with a minimum amount of coal, and fire so as to keep 

 a steady pressure. This part of the florist business is 

 the most expensive and it is to his advantage if he can 

 keep down the coal account as low as possible. I have 

 been in many boiler rooms in this State belonging to 

 florists; some were kept as they should be; some, I am 

 sorry to say, were not. 



Steam boilers in this State are exempt from inspec- 

 tion by the State autlioritios. Here is a copy of part 

 of the present law governing the same, Chapter 472, 

 Acts of 1905: 



"Section 1 (in part). All steam boilers of more than 

 three horse ])ower, except lioilers upon locomotives, in 

 private residences, or under the jurisdiction of the 

 United States or boilers used exclusively for agricul- 

 tural, horticultural or creamery purposes, shall lie 

 inspected either by the district police, or by an insurance 

 company authorized to insure boilers within the com- 

 monwealth. Such inspection shall be made internally 

 and externally at least once in each year." 



T have often wondered why florists, even if (he law 



didn't cover them, don't have their boilers either in- 

 spected or insured. The latter to my mind is the best 

 way as the inspectors of the company are practical men 

 who have to pass a rigid examination before being put 

 on that work. It isn't from danger of explosion as 

 much as being reasonably sure of getting safely through 

 the winter. Very few men will go without life insur- 

 ance, yet they will neglect the very thing which helps 

 to pay the premiums on the latter. A rose grower in 

 an adjoining State lost two 300-foot houses of roses by 

 his boilers giving out through some defect which could 

 possibly have been remedied by inspection. It will sur- 

 prise many to know that there are only ten florists in 

 Massachusetts who carry boiler insurance, and I think 

 that also means all there are who have inspection. 



Very often I have heard this remark, "I haven't 

 looked into my boiler for years, but I think it will be all 

 right." The florist is usually a practical, far-seeing 

 man, but on the boiler question as shown by the above 

 report he is sadly negligent. 



Sweet Peas in Winter 



It is in comparatively recent years that there has 

 been any demand for sweet pea blooms in winter. This 

 demand has been created by putting on the market 

 something that the people wanted. I am of the opin-' 

 ion that there is a great future ahead of us who are 

 specializing this flower, as the demand is increasing 

 very rapidly. The sweet pea will undoubtedly rank 

 next to the violet as a staple cut flower. The want of 

 winter-blooming varieties has greatly impeded the 

 advancement of this flower. We have now, however, a 

 few varieties, and it will only be the matter of a few 

 years when we will have varieties of all shades of color. 



The winter-blooming sweet pea is an entirely distinct 

 race from the summer-blooming. Although it is quite 

 possible to have the winter-flowering varieties bloom in 

 summer it is impossible to make the summer-flowering 

 varieties bloom in winter. Many a grower has sowed 

 hi« seed in season to have flowers all winter but the 

 result has been a fine crop of vines but no flowers until 

 late in the spring. This is the way the summer-flower- 

 ing varieties do if planted from July to January under 

 glass. The winter-flowering varieties will bloom in 

 October if sowed the first of September, and will bloom 

 all winter and the crop will be all marketed before the 

 summer-blooming varieties commence to bloom. The 

 sweet pea when grown under glass is in quality far 

 ahead of the flowers seen in summer. I have time and 

 again measured stems over two feet long with four 

 blooms on each stem. 



The sweet pea does best on solid beds; they will liloom 

 on these just as early as on a bench. I find the confin- 

 ing of these roots has nothing to do with the blooming, 

 what you need being the right varieties. Large, light 

 and airy houses are needed to grow the sweet pea suc- 

 cessfully: the sides should not be less than six feet high. 

 four feet bi'ing glass. This will give headroom without 

 having to pull the vines down, fluis ensuring straight 



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