428 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Juxe 29, 



THE TANK SYSTEM OF HEATIN 

 As many are, no doubt, contemplating the adoption of 

 the tank system of heating, and at various materials and 

 modes of construction have been suggested, I will give a 

 description of some pits, a hothouse, and vinery which 

 I have erected, and which, so far as 1 am enabled to 

 judge from six months' experience, viz. from the begin- 

 ning of November to the beginning of May, answer per- 

 fectly. . , . • i * 



Not having been quite satisfied with any material for 

 tanks which I had seen or heard of, I resolved on trying 

 the experiment of forming the gutters or tanks for the 



hothoutt snd finery of pOt$erf of pome sort. My notion 

 was, that the heat would be given out quickly— abun- 

 dantly— containing more moisture than that from iron 

 pipes — and that a greater surface would be obtained at 

 much less cost. The ordinary tiles involved numerous 

 joints, which, of course, increased the risk of leakage. 



I got a potter in this neighbourhood to make some 

 moulds, and ascertain the greatest lengths in which he 

 could form the gutters, so that they could be dried and 

 burned without any material deviation from their original 

 form. He found that he could not conveniently make 

 i them in lengths exceeding 15 or 16 inches. The order 



■«ju- 



was not given till September, when.it was too late to drv 

 the clay, when formed, in the sun ; the pieces were there- 

 fore kiln- dried, and were not nearly so true and perfect 

 as they might have been if made early in the summer 

 and regularly dried in the open air." However, under 

 all the disadvantages in the construction and puttinr 

 together, attending a first experiment, the success hat 

 been complete, with the aid of a thin coating of Roman 

 cement, which I am satisfied would have been unneces- 

 sary if I could have induced the labouring man who put 

 the troughs together to have worked the ordinary cement 

 I had provided to a proper degree of fineness. 









r 



Border in the Vinery, 



Border in the Stove, 



Stone Pavement over Reservoir. 



J L -1 







Section of Hothouse. 



Section of Pit. 



Stvic* 

 for Pit. 





The accompanying ground-plan and section of the house 

 and pits will show the mode of construciion. It will be 

 seen that there is a partition across the house, dividing off 

 about one-third nearest to the boiler as a hothouse, which 

 can easily be kept at a much higher temperature, when 

 required, than the remainder of the range, which is in- 

 tended for a vinery. The circulation may be confined to 

 that exclusively, or suffered to extend throughout the 

 range for a longer or shorter period, as may be desired. 

 Under the paved walk in the hothouse, a reservoir is 

 formed in brick and cemented, into which all the rain 

 which falls on the roof of the house is collected. A 

 moveable pump is inserted in one end, through a hole 

 cut in the stone, for raising the water for use in the 

 house. The gutters are 15 inches wide, and 5 inches 

 deep, and formed in 15-inch lengths — simple open troughs, 

 as shown in the section, excepting at the angles, where | 

 there are three pieces, one for each angle, formed in a 

 different mould, there being no joint at the angles, and 

 the two end pieces, which are formed with projecting col- 

 lars to receive the pipes from the boiler. The gutters 

 are covered with tiles 1 J inch in thickness. - 



It was, at first, intended to form the house in three 

 divisions, and the gutters were laid accordingly. It will 

 be seen that the flow and return-gutters are connected at 

 two points, in order that the circulation may be con- 

 fined between either and the boiler. At these points the 

 gutters are covered by a wooden frame, inst-ad of a tile, 

 in which is fixed a moveable cover, which exposes the 

 plugs, by means of which the circulation is diverted across 

 the house, or extended at pleasure, along the entire range. 

 If it is desired to confine the circulation to the stove, the 

 plugs at (1) are inserted and those at (2) withdrawn. 



On reference to the section of the house it will be seen 

 that the back wall is carried down considerably under the 

 level of the ground, to admit of a bed of earth on the in- 

 side about 4 feet deep ; then comes the reservoir, about 

 3 feet deep, 3 wide, and 16 in length, covered by pave- 

 ment. The earth on which the gutters are placed has 

 not been moved ; but in order to make it level and firm 

 it W3S covered with a thin coat of concrete. At every 

 15 inches, where the joints occur, they are laid on two 

 bricks, in order that the under as well'as the upper sur- 

 face should radiate heat; every foot run of gutter pre- 

 sents a surface of 40 inches radiating heat. The potter 



can deliver these gutters and covers, at some distance 

 from the pottery, at Is. 6d. per foot run ; whereas, an 

 iron pipe, with a 4-inch bore, which affords but 12 inches I 

 of radiating surface, I believe is usually sold at Is. per 



foot at the factory. 



There are two slate tables the whole length of the 

 house, with room for the gardener to walk between them, 

 to hold the plants, which it is expected will do very well 

 even in the vinery, as there are front sashes, and the 

 Vines will b: confined to the rafters in the roof. One 

 table rests on one side on the front wall, and on iron legs 

 on the other; the other table is supported entirely by j 

 iron legs lying close against the gutters. By this ar- j 

 rangement the gutters are secured against being broken 

 or disturbed by any chance accident. 



The boiler is of copper, having a pipe at the top through 

 which the hot water rises, with a cross pipe having two 

 cocks in it, with a brass union on each side at the bot- 

 tom, to receive the return pipes ; so that the circulation 

 may be carried on throughout the house and the pits at 

 the same time, or confined to either at pleasure by means 

 of the two cocks in the upper pipe. 



This is a double cylindrical boiler, and I cannot re- 

 commend them. I would advise any one to have a single 

 cylinder, and, if made of copper, to see that it is made 

 of ample thickness, and to pay an additional price if need 

 be. I would have those who contemplate what they 

 may deem economy in this respect, suppose they have a 

 house full of valuable plants, and all the pits at work in 

 January, with 10 degrees of frost, when, on a sudden, 

 the boiler leaks and puts the fire out. This happened to 

 me within two months after my boiler was put up — for- 

 tunately when the weather was mild, and before the 

 house and pits were stocked. The maker alleged that 

 this could not have occurred by fair work. It so chanced 

 that the boiler had not been put to the performance of 

 more than one third of the work it was sent to me to 

 perform, and it turned out, on examination, that the 

 copper was so thin as not to stand the action of fire for 

 many weeks : this is not a single instance. 



The construction of the pits is as follows :— The floor 

 is formed of bricks, laid flat on a bed of concrete, and set 

 in cement. The tanks are then formed by carrying tiles 

 made of pottery, 1| inch thick, and 5 inches deep, round 

 the outer edge, and on the top of the brick floor, a double. 



Home Correspondence. 



The Chiswick Exhibition and the Judges. — Th c 

 number and splendour of the company who crowded the 

 Gardens of the Horticultural Society on the 15th, was 

 truly a source of gratification to a reflective mind. The 

 very notion that such a company could be drawn together 

 by anything the peaceful pursuits of Horticulture could 

 possibly produce, could not even have gained credence a 





few years back, when red coats, the sound of the drum, 

 the prance of the war-horse, and the glitter of military 

 equipment, absorbed the public attention. However 

 gratifying all this may be, and certainly is, there were 

 some symptoms in the Exhibition itself last Saturday, 

 calculated to awaken painful reflections, although there 

 were many splendid things there. It is worthy of con- 

 sideration by wiier heads than mine, what causes or cir- 



row being carried along the centre, to support , the cover- 

 in* ti^which form Jl^ e d c :rn h'^the • 

 feet 6 inches wide. These are covercu 

 same as the gutters in the house upon wh uh £« «£ 

 rests. It will be seen, on reference to , th : section 

 pit., that the front tank is finished so a to » ^ 

 of abont 3 inches between it and the : Iron 

 slabs, 2 feet 6 inches deep, rest on th £»*» P .J 

 the earth ; and at every 5 or b tot, .where J , 



the slabs occur, there is a single brick ^ '«> P . 



the joints and the front •««.»?"??£ $'t is, and also 

 the pressure of the earth. The object oj rf 



of round pipes of pottery wh.cl rest on ^ ^ 



the tanks at (o), and pass up thr0 "|" latioll n th. 

 furnish dry heat, and to promote a free are 



surface, which is found •»*« ^J" V w hl V'» 

 At the point, marked (8) are similar PU es. ^ ^ 

 through the tiles covering the tans, ^^ . t||Me 



with an opening for the purpose into e 



are fitted at the top with wooden plugs, 

 of steaming the pits when requisite. confined 



If it is required that the circuUt.on .should o (J) 



to the 1st or 2nd pit nearest the boiler, B»^ >Uctt 

 are closed, and those at (4) are °P en ": tittttr d for ibe 

 are formed by a metallic frame being jwbs ^ 



tile at those point., in which a small meWU np 



on a spindle. This is «'»?*•* Vth? top V *^\ 

 through the earth, having a handle a th. 1 J H „ d 



the earth. 1 see nothing to P™«' ™£oJU»'.' '*" 

 tanks lasting .ound for ever, and they »» ^ T | ie 



a very considerable area at a «*•»»" " f w sUt; j 

 boiler for such a purpose .s the onlyj« w al „y S st 

 the only safe course is to have » ?P" e of an ac«- 

 band, to replace at once that in work in » boll , r 



dent. This' may easily be contrived so th ■•» *•» 

 may be removed without the 1»« »' » . „,, hs 

 chances to be in it at the moment. ^ ,,,., ,.. 



readily stopped , either by cock or pl«g ; • .„ ,,,,», 

 hot water in the gutters and tanks may o .^^ ,„d 

 while the defective bo.ler is replaced by ^ ^ t 

 thus no sensible check would wur. m & there ... 



the winter, when the t^^'XT.Srfece of *? > ' 

 .bottom heat of 90», end of 80 on the »r > Cul n- 

 then in action, and of 73° m the .tove. 

 cester. 



■ i, and tb e 



cum.tance, contributed to *P? W ^n^ne. **t 

 public of .o m.ny exhibitors oW ftot. be, the" - 

 Lrmy own gue.se. and ^f ^ 8 to °/ a ll .«•£* 

 only one circumstance to " h, jV.m reminded of 't W 

 It relates to the judge. ; end I ^m em- retur „ 

 happening to meet two or th«e ft* , . . «W 





> 



that among the e.hibitor. of collection* o 



