Mil J- D, 167is. J 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTXJEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



381 



Rose, or bunch of Koses, came, from which I cut, as before 

 stated, in the months of April and May fifty-nine full-blown 

 Eoses. In the course of the summer and autumn of 1^71 the 

 tree made still more vigorous giowth, threatening to ovennvn 

 the whole roof of my Uttle house. I accordingly had strong 

 wires lixed from back to front at interrals of about 18 inches, 

 and at a distance of 8 or 10 inches from the glass ; making 

 choice of the most vigorous shoots, I trained one on each rod, 

 and by November nearly every rod was covered. The remaining 

 shoots I disposed of amongst my friends for budding. I 

 shortened every shoot in Januaiy, and the result has been 

 195 blooms cut and about fifty left to perfect. Besides the 

 shoots traioed to the roof of the porch, the tree put up one 

 very vigorous shoot from the base, which I let through into 

 the stove house, and it made a growth of about 20 feet. I cut 

 about 7 feet off this, and it is now showing flower, and pro- 

 mises to keep me in Eoses for some time after the other part 

 shall have ceased flowering. — A GoNsiiST Eeaiier, liorncastli:. 



BEST HOT-WATEE APPARATUS 



AT THE ROTAIi HOHTICULTURAL S0CIET1:"S EIKIIINGHAII 

 ESHIBITIOX. 



In the language of the " code," I now offer a few words 

 open " the best hot-water apparatus," or rather upon some of 

 the means by which the solution of this interesting problem 

 may be arrived at. Now, the practical rendering of this clause 

 is, as I intei-pret it, the best boiler, a circumstance which can only 

 be realised by carrying out a properly-organised series of tests. 

 Accepting this version as being the correct one, I proceed to 

 submit, rather as a basis for future deUberations than other- 

 wise, a few practical suggestions uecessaiy to be borne in mind 

 when framing the regulations by which a public boiler trial 

 should be conducted. I wish, however, to preface my remarks 

 by citing a few facts, mainly to show the utter impracticability 

 ef endeavouring to satisfactorily carry out this important un- 

 dertaking within the prescribed Hmits of the duration of the 

 Show ; and in doing so permit me to add that these are not 

 mere theoretical conclusions, but practical evidence collected 

 from close and careful observations of many working examples, 

 and therefore I hold that the very nature of my authority 

 constitutes it one of the safest upon which to rely. 



First, then, comes the fact that no iron boiler, whether 

 ^n•o^ght or cast, displays its real working capabilities until the 

 same has been in operation for hours, and I should not ex- 

 aggerate if I said days, after fixing; therefore, if the proposed 

 trial of boilers is to continue but for one or two hours, I ask 

 how the real merits of each boiler are to be correctly recorded ? 

 Secondly, The quantity of fuel consumed during the first 

 day or two to produce certain results, is not a correct idea of 

 the future daily consumption required to maintain the same. 

 How, then, can a verdict be pronoimced upon the very im- 

 portant point of " economy of fuel? " 



Thu-dly, With reference to " night stokering," by what pro- 

 cess of reasoning can this be adjudicated upon if each boiler 

 is to be in operation for one or two hours only ? 



Fourthly, " Economy of labour-" is an attribute claimed by 

 more than one maker of boilers for his pet production, and I 

 ask whether a period of less than twenty-four hours' work wUl 

 .yield any practical proof of the daily labour each respective 

 boiler requires ? 



FiftUy, Boilers " foul" — some more quickly than others. It 

 is only a question of degree, but this is just the thing which 

 vitally affects their maintenance of working power, consump- 

 tion of fuel, and labour in attendance. It is not the trial of 

 an hour or two's duration that will test this. 



Lastly, In so short a time I avow it is impossible for a 

 boiler to demonstrate the command it possesses over its work, 

 and the niceties to which it can be regulated by producing 

 first a slow circulation and rising to a great rapidity in cases 

 of emergency. 



Now, in the face of these statements I venture to submit 

 that a trial to be of any positive value or real benefit, must ne- 

 cessarily be extended over a period far exceeding that assigued 

 to the forthcoming meeting at Birmingham, and if it be worth 

 undertaking at all, it is worth doing well. 



I now proceed to detail the mode in which I am of opinion 

 the trial should be carried out. Neither the temperature of 

 the water in, say, 1000 feet of pipe, nor the temperature of 

 a conservatory or room, would be of any avail for this purpose, 

 on account of the influence from the external temperature to 

 which these would be subjected. I propose, therefore, to pro- 



vide an iron tank holding not less than 1500 gallons, fitted 

 with top, manhole, and plate all well secured ; and that it should 

 be fitted upon a platform elevated 10 feet from the grounti, 

 so as to avoid the necessity of sinking a stokehole. This tank 

 to be enveloped in a wood casing composed of inch deal, leav- 

 ing a cavity of 3 inches on all sides to receive a packing of 

 sawdust, so as to effectually exclude aU influence of external 

 temperature. Pierce the tank where mast convenient at top, 

 and insert a kind of bottom-heat thermometer about froi.i 



3 to 4 feet long, having its bulb 2 feet in the water, with tho 

 index exposed, which should be read at stated intervals, and 

 all its variations recorded by properly appointed authorities. 



Within the tank, and worked from the top, should be placed 

 a kind of plunger to be worked to and fro, at stated periods, for 

 the purpose of thoroughly incorporating the water, and pro- 

 ducing a uniform temperature throughout the tank. An air- 

 pipe to be fixed at the top, and a small tap at the side, about 



4 inches down, the former to allow of expansion, and the latter 

 to show the quantity of water in the tank. Bolt on the flow 

 and return nozzles, and extend the same through the wood 

 casing, leaving all other connections to be made by each com- 

 petitor. The tank would thus be ready to receive the water and 

 for operations to be commenced. The distance between boiler 

 andtank should be not less than 130 feet, and if 150 feet so much 

 the better. Taking it at the former measurement, the top of 

 each boiler should be fixed at a level not exceeding 20 inches 

 below the bottom of tank, which would give a rise of about 

 U inch in 10 feet to the flow pipe. The fall of the return 

 pfpe need not necessarily be identical with that of the flow, so 

 as to render them parallel thi-oughout. Opinions differ upon 

 the advantage of such an arrangement, and therefore I would 

 leave it optional with the competitors to adopt whatever plan 

 they thought best. Every competitor should cause his own 

 boiler to be fixed under his personal superintendence, or that 

 of his representative, for which he should be responsible ; also 

 one or the other of them should be allowed to work the boiler 

 during the entii-e trial, no results to be recorded by any mter- 

 ested party except for then- own private use and information, 

 not for circulation. 



After having clearly defined by rules and regulations the 

 relative position and level which each boiler shaU occupy iu 

 relation to the tank, the size, number, and forms of the cii-- 

 culating or connecting pipes between the boiler and the tank 

 should be left to the decision of the competitor, each com- 

 petitor being at liberty to remove those used for any former 

 trial, and substitute for them any special arrangement of his 

 own, so as to meet the requu-ements of his boiler. 



For obvious reasons, however, it would be necessary that 

 each competitor should at the time of making his entry lodge 

 with the authorities a proper plan and specification, setting 

 forth in the clearest terms his proposed plan of fixing the flow 

 and return pipes, also the number and size of each, together 

 with the level of the return pipe, and from this statement and 

 plan no deviation under any circumstances shoxild be per- 

 mitted at the time of preparing for the trial. 



Such is an outUne of my suggestions, which, of course, 

 requires to be filled up with details, a work not very difficult 

 to do if the Society will but declare itself iu favour of a 

 properly-organised boiler trial. — S. 



EOYAL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY'S SPECIAL 

 PEIZES AT THE BIEMINGHAM SHOW. 

 I HAVE just read the letter from " C. C. E." in your number 

 of last week, and in answer to his queries would suggest a 

 very simple definition as to what are to be considered vege- 

 tables and what fruits — viz., that the former are those eaten 

 at dinner, and the latter those used at dessert. Preseives, of 

 course, not to be taken into consideration. — Scio. 



Your correspondent " C. C. E." is quite right in bringing 

 this subject under notice. Best of All Pea, imless by mere 

 chance, will not be represented, and the Messrs. Sutton would 

 do weD to omit it from the collection. Again, in Messrs. 

 Carter's twenty-four dishes, the two new Onions, only sent out 

 in .January, wiU be in no condition for show purposes if grown, 

 as per schedule, outside. The local prizes are good and intelli- 

 gible, and I am sm-e wUl be well represented. — E. G., Stamford. 



Watts' Excelsior Broccoli.— We have had some of this 

 very superior strain of the Self-protecting Broccoli, and can 



