IM 



JOCBMAL OP HOBTICTTLTURB ARD OOTTAOB OAKDBNBR. 



I r<kf«uT IT, Ma 



The iie«ond meeting took pl»c« on the 18th of December; 

 there were npw»rd§ of 150 gardener* present. The Cbiirman 

 (Mr. Bnrley) addressed the meeting, saying that it was a fact 

 beyond contradiction that gardeners were not paid according to 

 their Bcrrices, and he said that he, as an employer and a nnr- 

 oeiTinan, would do all in his power to raise their position, and 

 that he would thencclorward give £1 1«. per week to erery man 

 in his employment. 



After several discuflsions the meeting came to this conclnsion 



viz., "That no journeyman, from the Ist of March, would 



■work under £1 1«. per week." 



The third meeting took place on the 5th of February, a large 

 number being present. Mr. Burley (the chairman) commenced 

 by reading the rules (which were framed previously by the 

 Committee). The rules are these : — 



1st, That this Society bear the name of " The West Middle- 

 sex Gardeners' Mutual Protection Society," and be composed 

 c4 gardeners employed by nurserymen, those in gentlemen's 

 estftbUshments, and jobbing and market gardeners. '2nd, That 

 tlie Society's object is to raise the journeyman gardener's pay 

 to not less than 3s. 6d. per day. 3rd, That no one be admitted 

 a member of the Society but through the introduction of two 

 members. 4th, That a "list of members be kept in the Hall, 

 and a hst of those who are out of employment, so that em- 

 ployers may apply to the Hall for such. 5th, That a Com- 

 mittee of not less than five meet at the Hall weekly (Monday 

 evening, 8 r.u.), to transact the business of the Society. 6th, 

 That each member shall pay 6d. on entering, and 2d. per week 

 afterwards, to meet the expenses of the Society, and each mem- 

 ber to have a printed copy of the rules. 7th, That all members 

 are requested to meet at least once a-quarter. 8th, Thut a 

 Secretary be appointed, who shall receive pay, the only ofHcer 

 of the Society who shall receive such. 9th, That a Treasurer 

 be elected, who shall receive and pay all sums for the Society. 

 10th, That advertisements be inserted in the Gardaiem' Chro- 

 nicle, Joi'BNiL OF HoKTiccLTCnE, and Wat London Observer, 

 inviting employers to apply to Mr. Odell, Workmon's Hall, 

 Portland Eoad, Netting Hill, for competent gardeners. — 

 J. W. B. 



BOILERS. 



I AM glad to see that the subject of boilers for heating hor- 

 ticultural buildings is being discussed in your columns. 1 have 

 no donbt that it will tend to throw light upon the subject, and 

 be the means of enabling the amateur and gardener to arrive 

 at correct conclusions, detect the faults and failings on the one 

 hand, and discover the advantages on the other, and then, after 

 ■weighing the whole, to fix upon that form which ■will prove to 

 be both durable and efficient. 



Each kind of boiler, perhaps, has some advantage peculiar 

 to itself, but it sometimes happens that these advantages are 

 gained by sacrificing others of more importance. I have, as a 

 gardener, had many years' experience with the most popular 

 forms now in use. I have worked the old saddle, the cylinder, 

 the conical, the upright and the horizontal tubular, the double- 

 decker, and one called the mushroom in consequence of its 

 shape somewhat resembling that fungus, ond,lafitof all, I have 

 had fixed one of those called the terminal saddle, which I see 

 is now being advertised in your paper. 



The general result of my exj^erience leads me to confirm 

 what Mcintosh has previously said : " The more whimsical the 

 form the greater the expense ; the more intricate and eompli- 

 eoted the more likely it is to get out of order, while such forms 

 are not calculated to stand the wear and tear of those which are 

 of more simple construction." 



To judge rightly of the merits of any boOer it is necessary 

 to have certain distinct ideas impressed on the mind ; for in- 

 stance, the amount of surface virr the fire, which is of much 

 greater importance than the surface exposed to the fire. The 

 largest amount of heat ascends, and its greatest effect will 

 always be produced on that part which is immediately over the 

 fire. 



The position and arrangement of the flues are seldom taken 

 into account, but it is a matter of great imixirtance. The Sace 

 should be so arranged as to prevent as much as possible tlia 

 escape of heat into the chimney. The fact that heat will rise, 

 quite convinces mo that the opening for the flue should not be 

 at or near the t ip of the boiler. If so, the heat and flame 

 ascend to the highest point, then escape through the opening 

 and arc lost. 



The easy access for cleaning-purposcg to fvery part of the 



boiler eipoeed to the fire ie very important. Thia maxt be pateot 

 to every gardener, for when the iron it coated with soot yezj 

 little rflect can be produced upon it by the fire. 



Then, simpUeity of construction should be secured, for it 

 best enables a boiler to bear the wear and tear of a hard winter's 

 work, and yet remain Bound and good. 



Any one bearing in mind these four condition! will baT« k 

 good guide for the selection of an efficient boiler. 



For my own port I do not like the tubular boilem. I admit 

 that they will heat a great length of piping, bat that ii only 

 accomplished by a tremendous consumption of fuel. They arc 

 very wasteful ; the furnace being formed of brickwork absorba 

 a great amount of heat, and the flame seems to ghde np the 

 vertical tubes without producing a proper effect, passeu into tba 

 flue, and is lost. The conical is open to the same fault ; th» 

 opening for the flue is just at the top, and I have seen the 

 flame come out and reach nearly a yard up the chimney. Tba 

 loss of heat must have been fearful. The cyUnderhas jast the 

 same faults as the above. The two-decker requires a strong 

 fire, and a constant flame must be kept up to wrap round tba- 

 lower part and come in contact with the top. otherwise it is in- 

 effective. The mushroom is not worth further mention. 



Among the many boilers which I have tried, I certainly pre- 

 fer those of the saddle shape. This comes the neare.st to mj 

 ideas of a good boiler, and, if proi>erly set, is not easily beaten. 

 If after three mouths' trial 1 am justified in giving an opinion,. 

 I should say that the terminal variety of saddle is a decided 

 improvement on the old form. This is very simple, of great 

 power, and very moderate in its consumption of fuel as com- 

 pared with the amount of work done by it. — A Uuiit GABSBiiEB. 



In your impression of the 6th inst. I observe that Ur. G. 

 Cooper has expressed a desire for information as to the experi- 

 ence of those who may be possessed of tubular boilers. As he 

 has referred to my name in connection with a few observations 

 I made about three years ago relative to the merits of Clarke's 

 water-jacket boiler, in justification of those observations I am 

 glad to be able to affirm that my subsequent experience of its 

 capablities tends to justify the anticipations which I entertained 

 as to its efficiency and durabihty. Its exemption from the 

 pecnhar fissure, which appears to bo incidental to those tubular 

 boilers instanced by Mr. Cooper, is calculated to render it a 

 boiler of superior merit — that is, as regards non-fraugibility. 



As a preventive of soot or other matter accumulating on any 

 portion of the boiler, I found that the simple application of an. 

 occasional extra brisk fire effectually prevented that evil, except- 

 ing in one instance, about two years ago, when I found it neces- 

 sary to examine and scrape off a substance resembling coal-tar» 

 which I attributed to the nature of the coal, in conjunction with, 

 the foul state of the flue which conveys the smoke along the 

 back wall of one of the vineries, with the view of making up. 

 for the deficiency of hot-water piping in that house. I do not» 

 however, absolutely advocate the system, as a more effectual 

 draught is secured by conveying the flue vertically over the 

 boiler. It also precludes the iucouvenience of cleaning, and 

 the dangers incidental to flues, crazy ones especially. 



It is not my present purpose to discuss the comparative 

 merits of boilers nor improvements on them — with one excep- 

 tion — that is, my objection to water-bars, the employment of 

 which I beUeve to be wrong in principle, inasmuch as they tend 

 to obstruct the thorough combustion of the fuel, owing to the 

 rapid conduction of the metal; and, further, I believe thaj 

 prevent the air supplying the oxygen uecessarv' for oombustio:^ 

 entering the fire as hot as possible ; but the evil may be some- 

 what remedied by keeping the water-bars as clear of ashes as 

 may be practicable, hence I doubt the advantage of water-bars. 



At some future time I hope to be able to offer a few observa- 

 tions on the merits or demerits of another kind of boiler which 

 it is in contemplation to employ here. la the meanwhile, like 

 Mr. Cooper, I trust that others may he induced. Ui favour us 

 with their experience of boUers. — W. GAra>nH;B. 



■WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN OAKDEN. 



The operations recommended here periodically cannot, per- 

 haps, always be pursued with propriety at the precise period 

 in,:licated ; the position of the garden, as well as the nature of 

 the soil, must be considered, and if these circumstances are 

 unfavourable, they may be permitted, as exceptions, to modify 

 the goucral rules. The preparation of the various q«art<TS 



