HEATING GREENHOUSES. 189 



I will say, in the first place, that simplicity and economj' in the 

 construction of heating apparatus have not yet been evolved from 

 the minds of inventors to an extent sufficient to enable them to pro- 

 duce a simple, cheap, and at the same time efficient boiler for 

 heating greenhouses, b}^ either hot water or steam. 



Any one would suppose that, with the great demand as a stimu- 

 lator, and the wonderful facilities within the reach of inventors, 

 some one of them would have turned his attention to this want of 

 the horticulturist, and would have produced, long ere this, a heat- 

 ing apparatus, which, in its different sizes, would meet the wants of 

 all ; and of such moderate cost as not to nearly bankrupt the hor- 

 ticulturist before he completed his greenhouse. 



In this connection I would say, that I think the horticulturist 

 also is somewhat to blame for this state of affairs ; for, when he 

 contemplates building a greenhouse, what, as a general thing, does 

 he do but look around and ask his neighbor what heater he is 

 using, and then, without thought, adopt the same ; or, perhaps, 

 some other which some one else recommends as being superior? I 

 know of onl}' two horticulturists, in all mj' acquaintance with the 

 craft, who are trying to improve their heating apparatus b}' their 

 own handiwork ; and what they are seeking for is simplicity of 

 construction, econom}' of fuel, and at the same time efiiciency. 



In the one case a bank of horizontal pipes, surmounted by a coil 

 of pipe, and all surrounded by brickwork, does good service, but 

 with great waste of heat, which passes away up chimney, and 

 ought not to be allowed to escape without doing Service. 



This waste heat might be used in heating water for watering 

 plants, by placing in the chimney, in such a manner as not to in- 

 terfere with the draught, a stack of pipe, through which the water 

 should pass before using. This would be economy in tlie use of 

 fuel, for we all know that a great quantit}^ of heat passes off up 

 the chimne}' which does no work and is wasted. Some authorities, 

 who liave looked into this important subject, say that half of all 

 the heat, generated in or under the best of our horticultural heating 

 apparatus, passes off without doing an}- good except to help heat 

 up all out-doors. If we could build a tire which would last all 

 night, and at the same time be of just sufficient intensity to prop- 

 erh- heat the water in our boiler, there would still remain the same 

 appreciable waste of heat. But even this cannot be done ; and the 

 question comes up, for that reason yet more exigently, what can be 

 done with the heat that has been generated, but not utilized, under 



