General Notices. 505 



seats, and its history and biography. The description of Conishead Priory, 

 the seat of Colonel Braddyll, about two miles from Ulverston, is illustrated 

 by three engravings, and gives a very graphic idea of that splendid abbatorial 

 residence. The botanical part of the description is drawn up by the head 

 gardener, Mr. Aiton, who also furnished the list, arranged according to the 

 natural system, of plants found indigenous in the neighbourhood of Furness. 

 This list contains a large proportion of comparatively rare species, and it 

 might have been lengthened, we are informed, had there been room. The 

 names generally are correctly spelt, though there are a few defects in this 

 particular in the list of exotics at Conishead Priory, in p. 159. and 160. 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Abt. I. General Notices. 



Rendle's Tank Si/stem of heating by hot Water. — " Our attention has 

 lately been called, by Mr. Beck of Isleworth, to a somewhat novel method of 

 heating by hot water, which appears worthy of being more generally known. 

 The apparatus now in use at that gentleman's residence is upon a very small 

 scale ; but the principle upon which it acts is capable of being carried out to 

 any extent, and is at once so simple and economical, that we shall attempt to 

 describe it briefly to our readers. 



" The originality of this invention lies with Mr. Rendle of the Plymouth 

 Nursery, who, in June last, forwarded to the Horticultural Society a paper 

 upon the subject, which was read at one of their meetings, and of which an 

 abstract was given at p. 422. of the Chronicle of last year. The main point 

 in which it differs from other methods is, that the hot water, instead of circu- 

 lating round the house in pipes or open gutters, is contained in the centre of 

 the building in a wooden tank, upon the lid of which is a layer of bark or 

 sawdust, raised 3 or 4 feet above the floor, for the reception of pots of cut- 

 tings, plants, &c. This tank is divided lengthways by a partition in the 

 centre, with the exception of about 2 in., which are left open at one end to 

 allow the water to circulate ; its opposite extremity is connected with a small 

 boiler by means of a pipe. The water, upon becoming heated in the boiler, 

 flows through the pipe into the tank, and, after passing round the latter, 

 returns to the boiler by another pipe : in this manner the circulation of the 

 water is kept up. 



" The tank in Mr. Beck's house is about 1 1 in. deep j but he is satisfied 

 that 6 or 8 inches in depth would be amply sufficient. Its lower part is 

 formed of wood, and the upper of slate, one portion of which is covered with 

 tan for plunging in cuttings, &c. ; the remainmg part is left bare, so that, on 

 sprinkling it with water, a copious vapour is obtainable. The waste of water 

 in the tank is trifling j when, however, it requires to be replenisheil, it is 

 easily effected by means of a small orifice left for that purpose in the slate 

 covering. 



" The boiler, by which this comparatively large body of water is heated, is 

 of diminutive size, and, perhaps, we cannot give a better idea of it than by 

 supposing one of Rogers's to be divided crossways into two ; the lower 

 portion, hermetically closed, will then represent the boiler in question. As 

 in Rogers's, the fire is contained in the centre, and is supplied with fuel from 

 the top. It stands upon a grating raised a few inches from the floor, and is 

 siuTounded at the distance of 2 or 3 inches by an iron case, from one side 

 of which the smoke makes its escape through a small chimney. This outer 

 case, or covering, is almost double the height of the boiler ; and, the more 

 effectually to i)revent the radiation of heat from its sides, an iron cylinder 

 slides down through the opening by which the fire is ^cd, and fits exactly 

 witliin the top of tlie boilei". Tiiis answers the double purpose of containing 

 a body of fuel, which settles down and supplies the fire during the night ; 



