16 ORNAMENTAL FOLIAGE PLANTS. 



much depends upon circumstances and locality, we may 

 safely leave ttiem to make their own selection. 



A boiler having' been selected, the pipes will be* the next 

 consideration. In regard to these, it is always true eco- 

 nomy to have plenty of heating surface in the house — that 

 is to say, a quantity of piping which will give sufficient 

 w§,rmth with a moderate fire. Great waste of fuel, and 

 much injury is done to the plants, through being compelled 

 to drive the boiler hard to maintain sufficient heat, which 

 state of things is brought about by want of piping and not 

 having sufficient surface. The boiler should be fixed out- 

 side the house, and entirely independent of it, for no matter 

 how carefully the brickwork is built, it will become de- 

 fective by constant wear, and then, if inside the house, 

 through the escape of smoke and sulphureous gases, the 

 ruin of many fine specimens may be speedily brought 

 about. For jointing the pipes we have for many years used 

 india-rubber rings, which are made specially for the sizes 

 in which the pipes are cast, and we find they answer 

 admirably. The ease with which a joint can thus be made 

 is a great advantage, and, moreover, they last for many 

 years without -leaking, while should anything go wrong, 

 the pipes can easily be separated without expense or loss 

 of pipiag. 



It is a practice with many plant growers to steam their 

 houses regularly. This may in some instances be bene- 

 ficial, but still the practice is open to objection, and if a 

 sufficient heating surface is provided, it need not be re- 

 sorted to in order to increase the heat, while for any other 

 purpose it is not, in our opinion, necessary, for by frequent 

 applications of the syringe, and by pouring water upon the 

 tables and floors, a sufficiently moist atmosphere can be 

 maintained without any risk whatever. 



