Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 189 



" Valves might be fixed in the boiler, pipes, and reservoirs, 

 for letting steam into the house, if required ; but that would 

 induce the necessity of boiling the water, and it has not been 

 done here, as I find I can produce all the steam I require 

 with little trouble, by watering the pipes with a watering pot." 



" I am persuaded that the advantages of this mode of heat- 

 ing, with its great simplicity, will give satisfaction to every 

 practical gardener who has an opportunity of trying it. When 

 once the water is heated, and the fires well made, he may re- 

 tire to rest, certain that the pipes will not get cold during the 

 night, but retain a considerable heat in the morning." 



In order that we might be able to form an opinion on this 

 subject from personal observation, we have lately examined 

 some hot-houses at Deepdene and Rooksnest in Surrey, and 

 Bickley Place and Sundridge Park in Kent, heated by water 

 on the above plan, in some cases with a little variation, and 

 the conviction on our mind is entirely in unison with the opi- 

 nion expressed by Mr. Whale. 



At Deepdene an orangery is heated by the circulation of 

 the water through iron pipes without the addition of a cistern, 

 the reservoirs of heat which that addition would supply being 

 considered unnecessary. At Rooksnest all the houses and 

 pits were heated by steam, in 1819, with perfect success; but 

 no sooner was the water system discovered and tried, than Mr. 

 Turner, convinced of its superiority over steam, discontinued 

 the use of the steam-boiler, and adapted the steam-pipes to the 

 water system described by Mr. Whale. On the evening of 

 September 27th, we examined two pits heated in this way, 

 and marked the progress of the circulation of the heated 

 water, which with a moderate fire proceeded at the rate of two 

 feet in a minute. On returning to these pits in the following 

 morning, though nothing had been done to the fire after nine 

 o'clock the preceding evening, we found the pipes still warm. 

 The gardener, Mr. Squib, a very superior cultivator, who has 

 filled his situation at Rooksnest for several years, and had ex- 

 tensive experience both with steam and smoke, entirely agrees 

 with Mr. Whale in his preference of the water system to every 

 other. 



At Bickley, near Bromley, two houses are heated by water 

 from one boiler, each house having a reservoir at the end 

 opposite to the boiler ; in one house, the pipes used are of 

 earthenware, the joints cemented with Roman cement, and 

 perfectly watertight. The gardener, Mr. Wells, of superior 

 abilities in his profession, and of some of whose practices we 

 hope to render an account at some future time, is as much in 



