Round the Year in the Garden 



of flower pots of varying sizes. These are placed one 

 on top of the other until a cone of inverted pots is 

 formed. The largest one, which is of course at the 

 bottom, is raised upon bricks to enable the lamp to be 

 placed underneath; it is necessary to enlarge the hole 

 in its base (now the top) to admit the chimney of the 

 lamp. The flower pots soon become warm when the lamp 

 is lit and if several pots are used to form the cone, quite 

 a fair warmth is obtained. The drawback of this plan 

 is that the fumes from the lamp remain in the green- 

 house ; they are inimical to plant growth, although they 

 do not necessarily do much harm. Great care is needed 

 in attending to the lamp. If it is allowed to smoke the 

 plants may be seriously damaged. When the lamp is 

 lit the wicks ought to be kept low for a few minutes ; 

 afterwards they may be turned up without danger of the 

 lamp smoking. 



There are other similar methods of increasing the 

 temperature by means of warm air; for instance, one may 

 use a duplex blue-flame lamp alone or place flower pots 

 on the top, or a simple apparatus in the shape of a hollow 

 zinc frame can be obtained; the principle is the same. 

 The disadvantage of all these methods is the possibility 

 of harmful fumes reaching the plants and damaging them. 

 If, however, the lamp is carefully tended as already 

 explained and the ventilator is kept slightly open at 

 night by means of a label, thus allowing of the escape of 

 the fumes, very fair results may be expected. One has 

 to remember that the plants may be ruined if the lamp 

 should smoke badly during the night ; it is necessary 

 to see that it is not left too high, for the tendency of the 

 flame is to increase. 



It is such a short step from this kind of heating 

 apparatus to one that is really satisfactory, that it is 

 well worth while to incur some slight extra expenditure 

 in the first place. The kind of apparatus in mind, one I 

 have used for some years with satisfaction, consists of 



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