PLANT-HOUSES. 



479 



526. A portable hot-water apparatus for plant cabinets is shown in fig. 

 351., which was invented by Mr. Joshua Major of Knowstrop, near Leeds. 



351 



This apparatus may be made of tin or copper ; the latter, though more expen- 

 sive at first, being from its durability much the cheaper in the end. Charcoal 

 is employed as fuel for this apparatus : oil lamps and gas have been tried 

 instead of charcoal, but with not nearly so powerful an effect. When charcoal 

 is used, it is necessary to employ pipes to conduct the effluvium arising from 

 it out of the place to be warmed : and it will be advisable, in order to abstract 

 all the heat possible from this smoke-pipe before it reaches the outside of the 

 house, to have it of a considerable length. In order to render the smoke- 

 tubes suitable for any situation, it is necessary to have elbow pipes, like those 

 used for turning corners, and sevei-al lengths of straight pipes, by means of 

 which the piping may be lengthened, and turned in any direction that may 

 be required. The largest-sized apparatus should not be more than 8 ft. long ; 

 as, if longer, it would be inconvenient to move about. The size of the one 

 which Mr. Major found the most useful is as follows : — The whole height of 

 the centre portion of the apparatus, comprising the boiler, &c., is 15 in., and 

 the width 5^ in. by 7|in.; the fire-pan is 5| in. by 4|in., and 3^ in. deep; 

 surrounded on three sides by a boiler, in the form of a casing, half an inch in 

 diameter, which becomes more spacious upwards, as the fireplace diminishes. 

 The opening necessary for the reception of the fire-pan, and for supplying it 

 with fuel, is 6 in. wide by 5^ in. deep. At the top of this opening the fire- 

 place begins to taper, and, consequently, the water in the boiler expands 

 more immediately over the fire ; the smoke-pipe takes its regular width 

 (liin.) in the boiler, about an inch below where the lid unites; the hori- 

 zontal water pipes {fig. 325. a) are each 28 in. long, by 2 in. in diameter; the 

 end pipes (6) are 14:^ in. high, by 3 in. in diameter; a feeder (c) is added, in 

 case it should be thought better to have the lid fixed tight on the boiler. In 

 order to promote the circulation of the water, small holes are to be perforated 

 in the top of the lids {dd), which are also intended to be fixed tight. The 



