JULY, 1910.) THE ORCHID REVIEW. “195 
and egress to the water, and the cork must be fastened to the bottle with 
copper wire. This apparatus greatly simplifies the management of the fire, 
and I strongly advise every amateur to use it. I have never been able to 
understand why Mr. Wrigley’s invention is not more generally used. The 
maximum pipe temperature required is generally about 120°-130° F. 
The boiler uses about 2 cwt. of coke and a few pounds of coal dust per 
week in winter; the consumption of fuel is considerably less in summer. 
Very soon after starting the new house I found that the severe autumn 
gales produced fluctuations of temperature that I could not control. I 
therefore fitted one side and both ends of the house with a system of light 
external wooden shutters, each kept in place by a wooden bead and turn 
button. The side shutters fit either side of the house, and all the shutters 
are smail enough to be easily handled by one person. 
I use covers on the house, made to roll lengthwise along the roof. The 
most suitable material I have found is stout felt, as sold for laying under 
carpets, 52in. wide, at about 1s. gd. per yard. A cover lasts me at least 
two years, and probably three, with a little care. I never dry my covers, 
and, if frozen too stiff to move, I leave them until they thaw. 
These shutters and covers form a most valuable system of defence, as 
rapid fluctuations or falls in temperature are absolutely prevented, and 
“drip” is very greatly lessened, the roof being kept too warm to allow 
rapid condensation. For example, on leaving the house on a mild night in 
winter or spring, if I expect frost or severe wind before morning I do not 
leave a very hot fire, but put on the covers and shutters. They do not 
make heat but merely retain it. With care, and a little experience, the 
fire can be so regulated that, in conjunction with the covers, a gentle and 
regular fall in temperature to almost any desired point may be confidently 
expected. In the event of very sudden and unforeseen changes in the 
weather, or in the rare event of the fire going out, the shutters, &c., prevent 
any serious fall in temperature. The chief agents in producing rapid falls in 
temperature, and therefore drip, are, of course, wind and cold rain; frost 
alone is not of much importance. The whole system of covers and shutters 
can be applied in less than ten minutes. 
I have the covers, &c., always ready to hand, and use them in whole or 
part whenever necessary, winter or summer, night or day. They are, of 
course, rarely required in summer, except on occasions when a very cold 
night follows a very hot day; in such a case I use as much covering as I 
think is required. It is a mistake to aim at a fixed night temperature 
according to the calendar. The night temperature should be in proportion 
to that of the preceding day. I use a minimum winter night temperature 
of about 62° F; winter day maximum, about 70°-75° F. The summer day 
maximum depends on the sun and the weather, rarely going above go° F. 
