COMMONPLACE NOTES. 



149 



COMMONPLACE NOTES. 

 By the Seceetary, Supeeintendent, and Editoe. 



Injueious Fumes eeom Stokehole Chimneys. 



On several occasions during the past few years we have seen bad 

 results due to the stokehole chimney being erected too near glass 

 structures. The fumes of sulphur dioxide and other gases penetrate 

 into the houses and do much damage when the wind is blowing 

 so as to drive them over the glass, particularly when the ventilators 

 are a little open. Not long ago w^e saw both vines and peaches with 

 severely scorched foliage and fruit partly scalded, the whole appear- 

 ing as if the ventilation had been grossly mismanaged, while other 

 houses under the same man's charge and only a short distance away 

 were in excellent condition. On investigation it was found that the 

 chimney w^as at the end of these damaged houses, and its top 

 almost level with the ridge, and whenever there was a south or 

 south-west wind the fumes were blown right in. In this case the 

 evil was aggravated by the position of the chimney as the weather was 

 always warmer and ventilation necessary wEen the wind was in the 

 directions mentioned. As it would have been very costly to have 

 moved the stokehole and rearranged the heating apparatus, the chimney 

 was raised twenty feet, with satisfactory results. An almost similar 

 instance occurred with a range of plant houses where the chimney was 

 at one end of the range, the damage always being worst in the winter, 

 when extra firing was necessary and when flowers were most precious. 

 In spite of well g'lazed houses the fumes found an entrance when the 

 wind was in a quarter that drove them over the glass. Eaising the 

 height of the chimney in this case improved matters, and only 

 occasionally was any injury done. But all danger would be avoided 

 if the chimneys were placed a little distance aWay and built sufficiently 

 liigh to carry the fumes away and above the glass, 



UndesIeable Water Plants. 



Of all the undesirable water plants planted in ponds Villarsia 

 nymphaeoides is the worst the writer knows. Its pretty neat yellow 

 blossom and bronzy leaf are most attractive, and it would be a 

 welcome plant for the water garden if it would keep in bounds ; but it 

 grows and spreads so rapidly that it will quickly cover a large sheet of 

 water and smother all the other aquatic plants in the place. We have 

 tried to eradicate it by thoroughly cleaning out the pond, taking out 

 every root that could be found, and leaving the pond perfectly dry for 

 a month or more. Yet the following year it was as bad as ever. 



It is a very curious fact that in some ponds and lakes Aponogeton 

 distachyon absolutely refuses to live, in spite of the most careful attempts 



