Stoking 



3GO ) 



Stove 



the flue system is complicated, fortnightly cleanings 

 will be advantageous. Always commence at the 

 top flue and work downwards until the soot and 

 ashes are removed from the lowest flue door. Bass 

 brushes will clean flues more satisfactorily than 

 the hair ones generally sold for the purpose, and 

 Can be made of any desired length. 



In upright boilers where the smoke escapes 

 through an orifice at the side of the fire, small 

 pieces of coke often find their way through this. 

 into the flue. A piece of hoop iron, bent into a 

 hook and fixed to the end of'a pliable rod, is useful 

 for removing these, and three wire nails driven 

 into a narrow piece of board will make a useful 

 candle holder, which may be pushed into the flue 

 to afford light to the operator. 



Next in importance to clean flues is an empty 

 ashbox, and this should always be cleaned out at 

 least twice daily during severe weather ; in hot 

 weather a full ashbox is useful in retarding 

 draught. 



On examining a fire in the morning the dampers 

 should be drawn out to the full length, and the 

 dead fuel removed from inside the turnace door 

 until the state of the fire can be seen. If the fire 

 be very low, a thorough loosening should be given, 

 all the clinkers and dirt removed, the ashbox 

 emptied, and a very little dry, fine fuel added. 

 More should be given when the fire is burning 

 clearly say, in an hour's time. 



When fires are being driven hard there will 

 generally be found a large clinker partly or wholly 

 covering the fire-bars in the morning. This should 

 not be removed, unless there is a good body of 

 keen fire, or its withdrawal may often mean that 

 of the greater bulk of the fire, and its consequent 

 extinction If possible, it should be broken up 

 with the clinkering or stripping iron so as to allow 

 of draught passing between the pieces, or, failing 

 this, be turned on its edge until such time as the 

 amount of fire at command will allow of its safe 

 removal 



In stirring a fire be sure that the tool used 

 passes well along the furnace bars to the back, 

 using it then as a lever to thoroughly loosen the 

 fuel and permit the free passage of air, with- 

 out which satisfactory combustion cannot take 

 place. 



It is the best policy to never keep the furnace 

 more than half full of fire, as then the best work is 

 performed. A smalt body of fire can also be more 

 easily controlled than a large one, and in the event 

 of bright sunshine following on a cold frosty night 

 this is of great importance. In this contingency 

 all draught should be taken off, both top and 

 bottom, the furnace filled up with fuel, and the 

 front of the fire well covered with wet ashes. 



In making up a fire for the night it should first 

 be ascertained that the temperature is up to, or 

 slightly above, the average ; then the furnace 

 should be filled completely up with finely broken 

 fuel ; this is important, as it is evident that more 

 small fuel can be accommodated than large lumps. 

 All the draught should be taken off, with the ex- 

 ception of 1" or 2" of one damper, and if any 

 doubt is felt as to the lasting properties of the 

 fire, a shovelful of dry ashes may be thrown on 

 the front to steady it. It is unwise to use large 

 quantities of ashes for banking up; they mean 

 bigger clinkers next morning. 



Stonecrop {see Sedum). 

 Stone Pine (see Pinvs Pinea). 



STOPPING. 



Stopping is carried out while plants are in full 

 growth, and is practised (1) to keep plants in 

 symmetrical shape, (2) to keep them bushy by 

 inducing back buds to push, and (3) in the case 

 of subjects designed to occupy a given space, to 

 keep them within their allotted bounds. 



The time of a plant's flowering may also be 

 regulated by intelligent stopping, and plants are 

 by this means brought to perfection at a given 

 date, as in the case of exhibitidn plants. -From 

 ten to twelve weeks i the usual time aljpwed 

 between the last stopping and the date of 

 exhibiting, but no hard and fast rule can be laid 

 down, as, naturally, conditions differ 



The laterals on Grape vines are generally stopped 

 at two or three joints beyond the fruit; Cucumbers 

 and Melons at one or two. Chrysanthemums, 

 Fuchsias, double Petunias, Bouvardias, and Helio- 

 tropes are stopped to retard Dowering or induce 

 back growths to push. Fruit trees generally are 

 stopped in summer, at six or eight joints, to plump 

 up the basal buds to which pruning is performed 

 in winter. 



STOVE. 



A stove is a house wherein the night temperature 

 in winter is never allowed to fall below 55 to 60, 

 with a rise of 5" to 10" in the day In addition 

 to a liberal amount of heat, it should also have an 

 atmosphere heavily charged with moisture, as the 

 plants are natives ot moist, tropical regions. 



Some stoves have large tanks sunk in tlie ground 

 beneath them, which are covered by open iron 

 gratings that allow ot a steady and constant supply 

 of vapour It these tanks are accessible for dipping 

 purposes they serve a double purpose, and may 

 also be used to receive the rain water from the 

 roof of the house. 



When the house is not provided with tanks of 

 the above description, concrete or cemented ones 

 will be found the best, and these may be so built 

 as to allow of a small pipe being taken through 

 them from the flow pipe of the heating apparatus. 

 This will ensure a constant supply of tepid water, 

 which will be found extremely useful for syringing, 

 watering, and sponging purposes. A central 

 plunging bed is provided in most stoves, beneath 

 which hot-water pipes are carried to supply the 

 bottom heat This plunging bed should have a 6" 

 layer of coal ashes or Cocoanut fibre refuse laid 

 over its surface, in which the pots may be plunged. 

 Cocoanut fibre refuse is lighter than ashes, more 

 retentive of moisture, and keeps freer from veget- 

 able growths ; but, on the other hand, ashes are 

 less agreeable to many of the insect pests which 

 attack plants in warm houses. 



A very useful means of ensuring a moist atmo- 

 sphere is to cover the stages with corrugated iron, 

 and place a layer of shingle or coal ashes over 

 these. Stove plants require to be shaded from the 

 fiercest rays of the summer sun, but should have 

 all the diffused light possible. Air should be piven 

 in moderation, but never so as to come into direct 

 contact with the plants, especially if at all cold. 

 It will generally be found that sufficient air will 

 enter between the laps of the glass during the 

 winter months, and that the top vent ilators may then 

 be kept closed. Many stove plants are greatly 

 benefited by a turn in the greenhouse during the 



Storax (sec Styrax). 

 Stork's-liill (see 



