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766 



The Weekly Florists' Review^ 



August 16, 1906. 



Greeohoose Beating. 



A MODERN HEATING PLANT. 



The new heating plant of Bassett & 

 Washburn, at Hinsdale, 111., contains 

 some novel features which will be inter- 

 esting for those who contemplate build- 

 ing or renewing their heating systems. 

 The boiler-house is of brick, on concrete 

 foundations, being 50x125 feet in size. 

 In the center of the house is an immense 

 stack, 135 feet high and eight feet six 

 inches in diameter at the top. This stack 

 is made of steel. It is firmly bolted to a 

 'concrete foundation twenty-five feet 

 square and ten feet in depth. On each 

 side of the stack are fiye boilers, ISO 

 horse-power each, making a total bat- 

 tery of ten boilers with 1,500 hoiM- 

 power. These boilers rest on a solid con- 

 crete foundation made twenty-six feet 

 wide, 100 feet long, and two fe?t thick. 

 The boilers are connected with a steam 

 header which is connected to the two 

 main flows entering the greenhouses. All 

 connections are made with goose-neck 

 bends. The object of these goose-neck 

 bends is to provide for any expansion 

 or contraction of the pipes. 



Each boiler is arranged with valves so 

 that it can be run independently of any 

 other, or all can be run together. .Leav- 

 ing the boiler-house the two main flows 

 are carried overhead in a central aisle 

 in the middle of the greenhouses. The 

 smaller pipes for heating each house are 

 so connected with each flow that either 

 of the main flows can be worked sep- 

 arately or run together. The main flow 

 is ten inches in diameter starting from 

 the boiler and tapering down to four 

 inches in diameter at the extreme end, 

 which is 800 feet from the boiler. 



The condensation or return pipes com- 

 mence at the houses nearest the boilers 

 and flow to the further end, when the 

 water returns to the vacuum pump. This 

 vacuum pump is the main center of the 

 heating system, as it sucks the condensa- 

 tion back and pumps it into a large steel 

 tank, from which it is pumped into the 

 boilers, almost as hot as when it left. 



Each boiler is equipped with a Jones 

 underfeed stoker, wMch mechanically 

 supplies the coal to the fires. A small 

 pea coal gives the best results. This 

 heating plant is located in a residence 

 section of Hinsdale, so it is necessary 

 for Bassett & Washburn to provide some 

 means of doing away with the smoke, and 

 these stokers do the work very nicely. 



SOLVES HEATING PROBLEMS. 



*< Every pipe in the greenhouse of 

 equal heat, " is a condition striven for by 

 all progressive growers utilizing steam 

 heat. This is not a diflicult matter when 

 approached in the right way. 



The old systems of gravity returns 

 by placing the boilers below the ground, 

 or the employment of a pump to return 

 the water to the boiler against the steam 

 pressure, are fast becoming obsolete, as 

 involving too great an expense as well 

 as an immense amount of trouble. In 

 their place has appeared the return steam 

 trap. Although a great improvement 

 over the old methods, the steam trap at 

 the introductory period had one main 

 drawback — too complicated and always 

 in need of attention and repairs. 



With a full understanding of the situ- 

 ation, the Morehead Manufacturing Co., 

 of Detroit, designed and introduced to 



the trade a tilting trap, which was 

 quickly taken up by many of the largest 

 and best known growers, and is now in 

 very general use. Once installed, it re- 

 quires no further attention, but at once 

 shows a saving in fuel, equipment, labor 

 and repairs, often beyond the expecta- 

 tions of its purchaser. 



The trap will take water from the 

 condensing surfaces of steam heating 

 systems and automatically return it into 

 the boiler as feed water, filling the dual 

 capacity of steam trap and feed water 

 pump. This is accomplished regardless 

 of the position of the returns, whether 

 above or below the water line in the 

 boiler. 



In construction the trap is extremely 

 simple, consisting of a cylindrical steel 

 tank receiver swung on a trunnion and 

 actuated by a counter-weight of suitable 

 %ize. A second obunter-weight is so con- 

 nected that it automatically operates a 

 steam admission and an air relief valve. 

 A steam port and two water connections, 

 the latter provided with check valves for 

 maintaining a flow in one direction, com- 

 pletes the list of trap parts. 



The condensation in the returns is 



forced into the trap tank by the steam 

 pressure from behind. When the tank 

 has received a requisite amount of water 

 it tilts, automatically opening the live 

 steam valve, admitting steam at boiler 

 pressure to the tank, thereby equalizing 

 the pressure in the system and permit- 

 ting the contents to flow into the boiler 

 by gravity. The air relief valve before 

 mentioned prevents the trap from be- 

 coming air-bound. All moving and ad- 

 justable parts are entirely outside, con- 

 sequently easily accessible. 



The trap requires no attention; needs 

 no cylinder lubrication; will not race or 

 run away; never sticks; is noiseless; oc- 

 cupies a minimum amount of space; re- 

 quires no foundation, and, above all, will 

 handle water at any temperature. 



These notes on a useful invention are 

 brought to mind by the receipt from the 

 Morehead Manufacturing Co. of an at- 

 tractive booklet devoted to the interests 

 of florists and greenhouse owners in 

 general. 



ONCINNATL 



The Market 



There is little business, and it is just 

 as well that it is so, as there are few 

 flowers coming in. The demand seems 

 to be greater for asters than for any 

 other flower, and as a consequence these 

 are sold up , clean on sight, and more 

 could be disposed of to advantage. Glad- I 



ioli are in heavy supply, and sell but 

 poorly. The demand is more for the 

 lighter colors, which can be used in fu- 

 neral work. Boses are not plentiful, 

 and the quality is poor. Carnations are 

 also scarce. It will not be long now 

 till there will be a good supply of these 

 flowers, and they will be given a hearty 

 welcome. 



Vacation Time. 



This is the time of vacations among 

 the florists, and many of the craft are 

 out of the city' enjoying a well-earned 

 rest. The following are among those 

 who are away: 



Nicholas Weber and wife are visiting 

 at Chicago and Milwaukee, and Nick 

 writes that the fishing is fine. 



Fred Gear and wife are taking in the 

 wonders of Yellowstone National Park. 



Miss Laura Murphy, -daughter of Wil- 

 liam Murphy, is visiting at Birming- 

 ham, Ala. 



WiUiam Murphy and wife leave short- 

 ly for Erie, Pa., going from there by 

 boat to Chicago. Mr. Murphy expects 

 to continue from that city to Los An- 

 geles, Cal., for a visit among relatives. 



C. E. Critchell and wife have just re- 

 turned from a trip east. 



Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Kyrk are spending 

 a few days near TiflBn, O. 



The writer, while strolling down the 

 far-famed board walk at Atlantic City, 

 was pleasantly surprised at meeting two 

 of the lady florists of this city. They 

 were Miss Laura Steigler and Mrs. A. 

 Garges. Both were enjoying themselves 

 greatly, and thought Atlantic City the 

 greatest summer resort they ever had 

 visited. They expected to remain a 

 couple of weeks. 



Various Notes. 



George Tromey is passing around the 

 cigars to his friends. It is a boy, and 

 in consequence George's chest has ex 

 panded several inches. 



All the arrangements have been made 

 for the Cincinnati delegation to the con- 

 vention at Dayton. This will be my last 

 chance to remind the craft in this city 

 to be on hand promptly. Our train 

 leaves the C. H. & D. depot promptly at 

 8:15 a. m. Everything points to a great 

 crowd from this city, and we are going 

 to have the time of our lives. 



C. S. Ford, of Philadelphia, was a 

 caller, as also was William Lodder, of 

 Hamilton, O. C. J. Ohmer. 



ST. LOUIS. 



The Market. 



Business in funeral work must have 

 been good last week, as several promi- 

 nent men died. In other lines every- 

 thing is dull, as usual, at this time of 

 the year. 



We have had some good rains, which 

 were badly needed by the outdoor stock. 

 All of last week there was a big de- 

 mand for white stock. Kaiserin roses 

 are the best on the market. Just now a 

 few good Golden Gate are to be had. 

 Bride and Maid are poor. Beauties are 

 coming in better, with a big demand for 

 all grades. There are some very good 

 field-grown carnations coming in, though 

 rather short in stem. Extra fancy are 

 out of question just now. Some extra 

 good lily of the valley is seen. 



Asters are in heavy supply, much poor 

 stock being in the market. Gladioli are 

 still plentiful and sell slowly. Tuberose 

 stalks sell well. Hydrangeas are just 



