AlKilST 18, 1921 



The Florists' Review 



37 



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HINTS ON HOW TO HEAT 



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THAT charming English essayist 

 and speaker, Gilbert K. Chester- 

 ton, delights in paradoxes; so the 

 title of one of his speeches is, "The 

 Ignorance of the Educated." Of 

 course, it is a hit at the educated, so 

 called, but on a keen self-analysis such 

 people are forced to admit they are mis- 

 named. It has occurred to me that this 

 is an apt title as to what is known, not 

 only about greenhouse heating, but heat- 

 '"fj in general. 

 Undoubtedly, you all have had expe- 

 • licnce with greenhouse heating, and 

 possibly some of you have had experi- 

 t'lu'o with warm air heating, the almost 

 universal method of heating residences 

 lit' moderate and low cost. The warm 

 air furnace manufacturers thought 

 they knew a lot about heating, but 

 when they formed an association, seven 

 years ago, they established a bureau of 

 I esearch, and it was found, upon investi- 

 utition, that there was scarcely anything 

 taught on the subject in the universities 

 (ir colleges of the country, and nothing 

 at all in the schools. They have already 

 spent about $50,000 in their research, 

 and about all they have learned is how 

 little is known of the real fundamentals 

 i>f warm air heating. Research is still 

 being made for them by the University 

 of Illinois, at Urbana, and even the pro- 

 fessional educators there are dum- 

 lounded to find how little foundation 

 they have to start on, to build up some- 

 tiiing constructive. 



Heirs of the Ages. 



In looking up the subject of heating, 

 as I have for the last thirty-five years, I 

 am astonished to find how few sources 

 of information there are. We, of the 

 present day, are heirs of all the preced- 

 ing ages. We have the learning, in- 

 formation and experience to be found 

 in the work and the writings of the past. 

 This work has been done by our prede- 

 cessors and we have the benefit of it. 



Where shall we find any information 

 about greenhouse heating! No text- 

 Books exist and little has been written 

 _^ithin the last twenty-five years. A 

 few articles and essays have been pub- 

 lished in the trade papers, but no source 

 exists to which we can go for thoroughly 

 practical, reliable information. 



Do we need this information? Just 

 lonsider for a moment what green- 

 liouse heating means. The title of this 

 paper describes it as "The Heart of the 

 business," and the accuracy of the 

 statement is obvious by asking, "What 

 ^vould the greenhouse business do with- 

 out heating?" 



Heat is the basis of all propagation 

 •iiKJ procreation, and life could not exist 

 without it. The seed needs heat. The 

 tender, tiny plant or flower needs heat, 

 •I "111 with heat and air and light it de- 

 velops, grows strong, and comes forth 

 111 all its beauty of fruit and flowers. 



Constant Friend and Helper. 



You meet the need of heat at every 

 turn of your business. You must secure 

 if at the right temperature, and at dif- 

 lerent temperatures for different plants 



Address by K. T. (Jibliii, (it I.'tica, N. Y., on 

 "Greenlioiiso Ilciitins — tlio Heart of tlio Hiisi- 

 ness," presented iit tlie S. A, F. convention at 

 WnsIiluKton Ausnst 1(1, llli;!. 



and flowers. Heat lives with you all the 

 time — is ever at your elbow, ever forc- 

 ing recognition; yet you are not trying 

 to get acquainted with it — to know all 

 its phases and i)eeiiliarities, its laws 

 and obligations. 



If you did know it, if you made it 

 your friend and assistant, it would 

 reward your friendship with wondrous 

 gifts. 



Now, to know heat iiud greenlioiise 

 heating means study, organization, co- 

 operative, jiatient investigation, tnul the 

 spending of much time and money. Does 

 this scare you.' Well, let me tell you, if 

 you would make a broad survey of con- 

 ditions today among florists and learn 

 the millions of dollars now wasted for 

 lack of knowledge on the subject, you 

 would have reason for being scared. 



Let me tell you an incident in warm 

 air heating. For at least forty years 

 back, warm air pipes have been covered 

 with asbestos ])aper at an annual ex- 

 liense in late years of one to two mil- 

 lions of dollars. It is now found that 

 more heat is lost tlirougli this covering 

 than through the bright tin inpes un- 

 covered. It is reasonable to say that 

 twenty millions of dollars have been 



spent in the past to aid in the waste of 

 fuel. Only accurate tests, made possible 

 by the cooperation of the manufacturers, 

 brought this waste to light. 



Isn't it possible and probable that 

 thorough researcli of present methods of 

 greenhouse heating would disclose simi- 

 lar wastes, and enable us to stop themf 



For the Benefit of All. 



It is said that "intin is a gregarious 

 :iuinial," which means that no man can 

 live by himself. Man is also a thinking 

 animal, and can take a suggestion and 

 work it out to his benefit and the bene- 

 fit of his fellow men. 



No )nanuf:u-turer, no heating cxpeit, 

 no florist knows it all. Everyone can 

 learn from others, and the expcrienee 

 and knowledge of till, obtained by each, 

 should be nuide available for the benefit 

 of all. Change and development, which 

 we term evolution, is universal, but how 

 much of it have you noticed in the heat- 

 ing of greenhouses^ Practically notii- 

 ing. There is room for improvement, it 

 would be appreciated, but how is it to 

 l)e brought about' 



We want better boilers; we want bet- 

 ter methods of installation; wo want 

 Letter means of operation, but more 

 than all wo want tliese things secured 

 iiitelligently l)y ascertaining the laws 

 governing them. 



F. T. Giblin. 



