August 12, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
129 
This would be much nearer practical arrangements in heating horti¬ 
cultural buildings than was the case in the late contest. As the pipes 
were arranged the full heating power of the boilers and the'r economy of 
fuel or the reverse could not be accurately estimated. The true temperature 
of the water in the pipes was not recorded, simply because provision bad 
not been made for sufficient thermometers for insertion in all the pipes, which 
should have been the case, for the whole of the pipes do not heat evenly 
throughout. The outlets most direct to the inlet of the water box from 
the boiler always take the lead. Gardeners and others contemplating 
such arrangements should take note of this, and arrange their pipes 
accordingly. 
Clause 6 specifies that each boiler should not have more than “ one 
flow and two return connections.” Mr. Wood tendered a protest against 
all boilers in the classes in which he competed that had more than the 
one flow from the boiler. This was against those boilers that had water¬ 
way bars and a water back. It was utterly impossible to arrange these 
without connections, as in the case of Messrs. F. & J. Mees’ boiler and 
Mr. Sam Doarda’ champion coil in the 1000 feet contest. These connec¬ 
tions were made close to the boiler and the water passed out of the boiler 
through one neck, as specified. These connections were considered part 
of the boiler, but had they been arranged by the aid of a valve, so that 
they could have been worked separately or cod jointly, they would have 
constituted separate boilers. It would be well in any future contest to 
specify preci-:e particulars on this point, and it might perhaps be well to 
take the ruling of the Judges in this case as a precedent upon which to 
work in the future. 
While on the subject of protests—and they appear to have been the 
order of the day in the late contest, or, it may be, the one referred to 
may have led to others being presented—it may be remarked that one 
was signed by Messrs. Mee, Deards, and Foster & Pearson against the 
durability of the tubes used in Mr. Wood’s boiler. The one on view for 
inspection was in thickness what is known as No. 8 Birmingham wire 
guage. This was said to be the thickness of the tubes in the boiler, but 
we had no means of examining them, and therefore took the one exhibited 
as being the same as those in work. 
Two of the competitors exceeded the conditions specified in clause 5, 
as will be seen in table 5. The flow pipe was not to exceed 24 inches 
above the boiler, or the pipes rise more than 6 inches in 100 feet. Messrs 
Foster & Pearson were If inch too high and Messrs. F. Sc J. Mee 5f. 
Mr. Wood kept within the stipulations, and was only 4§ inches rise over¬ 
all. The two first competitors could undoubtedly have been disqualified, 
but no protest was lodged against the level of their pipes before the 
awards were made, and the level of the pipes were not taken until after 
the contest was over. This was certainly a mistake, and should have 
been seen to on the day previous to the contest, or even earlier than this, 
for it would then have been too late to rectify the mistake, and the only 
alternative would have been disqualification. This in future must be 
avoided by some responsible person being on the ground to take the 
level of the pipes or bearers as they are arranged ; or, better still, to give 
the proper levels for the men arranging the pipes. This point entailed 
considerable deliberation, which resulted in not disqualifying any of the 
competitors, but it was made a point in favour of Mr. Wood against the 
other two. 
The 1000 feet contest was practically between Mr. J. Witherspoon, 
Chester-le-Street, Durham, with his patent “ Red Rose ” boiler, and Mr. 
Sam Deards, Harlow, Essex, with his coil boiler and water bars. Messrs. 
F. & J. Mee entered this class, but the boiler worked was the same as iD the 
previous class, but its enormous heating surface for this contest in a very 
large measure excluded them from consideration with the two first-named 
competitors. The “ Red Rose ” behaved wonderfully well, but was badly 
stoked at the commencement. It was clear that Mr. Witherspoon was 
afraid to bring it to its full heating power until towards the evening of 
the day of contest. He had trusted to some individual to fit up his pipes 
with indiarubber rings, and they were carelessly put together, and Mr. 
Witherspoon had to repack many of his joints on the morning of the 
contest. The pipes leaked badly, and he forced one or more of the rings out 
during the contest and lost a large quantity of water. In the hurry to get 
the pipes fitted up ready for starting the supply tank was placed on one 
of the flow pipes, it would have been better for the boiler on the return. 
The temperatures will show at a glance that the boiler heats quickly and is 
capable of raising a very high temperature. At 8.5 p.m. it was contended 
that the boiler was generating steam, but the average of the figures 
recorded will show that these assertions were unfounded. Tnere can be 
no question that the “Red Rose” would have soon generated steam, for 
the loss of water through the joints was great, and evaporation by the 
high temperature of the pipes enormous. The “ Red Rose ” is a good 
boiler, and would heat in practice considerably more piping than Mr. 
Witherspoon gives it credit for in his circular. The owner of this boiler, 
although only accorded the bronze medal in this contest, need not be 
afraid to enter it against any boiler in the market on any future 
occasion. 
Mr. Deards’ Coil certainly exceeded my expectations, and according to 
measurement was capable of heating about the specified quantity of 
piping. This boiler worked steadily and evenly from the beginning to 
the end of the contest, as will be observed from the recorded temperatures 
in table 2. This, and the smaller boiler in the 500 feet contest, worked 
more as if they were actually in practice than in a contest. Mr. Wither- 
spo >n certainly gained the highest temperature, but if the various items 
in the tables are selected it will be seen why the silver medal was accorded 
to Mr. Deards’ Coil, and therefore details need not be entered into here, 
There iB no occasion to enter into particulars in the 500 feet contest, 
for the tables will prove all the particulars that glided the decisions 
arrived at. Mr. Deards’ boiler was a small coil without water-bars, 
which maintained a steady heat and only burnt 4 bushels of coke, and 
registered the highest temperature per bushel of fuel burnt of any boiler 
in the contest. This boiler received the silver medah Messrs. Wood 
and J. G. Wagstaff, Alma Iron Works, Macclesfield, Manchester, bronze 
medals each, as has been recorded. Mr. Wood’s boiler was similar to tho 
one that was worked in the 2000 feet contest. Mr. Wagstaff's boiler was 
an independent horizontal tubular saddle, with a saddle over the tubes 
instead of bricks, and, therefore, requires no bricks in setting. This is a 
quick heating powerful boiler, and in some respects resembles the “ Red 
Rose ” boiler, though quite distinct. 
It appeared to be a general impression that those who gained the 
highest temperature would win the contest in which they were engaged. 
This, however, was not the case, as may be ascertained from table 6, for 
the whole of the points there mentioned were duly considered. Some 
dissatisfaction exists because those who gained the highest temperature 
were not given the silver medals, but, I think, if all look at the points 
brought out, for and against such boiler, with an unbiased mind, they 
will at once see the foundation for the awards made. 
As will be gathered from wbat I have said, that I am in favour of a 
report being issued on a matter of such importance to horticulture. I 
fail to see why it should be expected for the Judges to give the exact 
points upon which the contest was decided—the main facts being 
sufficient—any more than those who judged any other portion of the 
exhibition. In other branches, in which I was not engaged, 1 heard 
various complaints, and if we are expected to make public why we decided 
as we did, they too have a perfect right to do so. The whole facts are 
given, because criticism is not feared, and if nothing worth retaining can 
be learned from criticism it is of but little value. 
In any future contest I strongly recommend the pipes to be arranged 
so that the water will travel 2000 or 500 feet, as the case may be, before it 
can re-enter the boiler, The average heat of the water can then be 
ascertained. There should be a competent person to give to the Judges 
the proper level for the pipe and to measure the heating surface of tfie 
boilers on Hood’s or some other authority’s standard. Tbe plate of the 
boiler and the thickness of the tubes (if any are used) should be examined 
by the same person, so that some reliable idea of the durability of a 
boiler can be arrived at. The length of time a boiler has been working in 
any place should also be handed to the Judges, so that they can make any 
inquiries they desire. The durability of the boiler is a disputable point 
and should be thoroughly discussed. If the durability of a cast boiler is 
inferior to a welded one or vice versa they should be classed separately in 
different contests. Again, it is unfair in giving the price of a boiler to 
do so without giving the quantity of bricks required to set it and the cost 
of setting. It is only reasonable to suppose an independent boiler may 
cost more than one that requires a large quantity of bricks to set it. The 
first might on this account lose a point, while the latter would perhaps be 
the most expensive boiler in the end, therefore the cost of setting as well 
as of the boiler should be placed in the hands of the Judges. In any future 
contest the boilers entered for competition should at least be divided into 
two classes—namely, saddles and tubulars and the improved forms tested, 
say by the side of a terminal end saddle and a tubular boiler of an old 
make that might be selected for the purpose. Competitors entering in 
future contests should state at the time of entering their boilers what fuel 
is best suited for them, then those that bum coke and those that burn 
coal should be grouped separately. It is perfectly clear that a certain 
kind of fuel is more suitable for some boilers than others. Coke does not 
suit all boilers or bring out their heating powers or display the economy 
of the boiler to the best advantage. In my opinion, when these boilers 
are compelled to burn coke when coal or a mixture of both is the best 
they are in a measure handicapped by the side of thos e to which the fuel 
selected may prove the most suitable for them. Another point worthy o 
consideration in future is the smoke that issues from the chimney ; if 
black it is certain that great waste is going on. A thermometer should 
also be placed in some convenient place in the chimney, and also to the 
front of the boiler, for some waste an enormous amount of heat at the 
front in comparison with others. All who walked along the front of the 
boilers at Liverpool will have discerned this. The supply tank in future 
should be fixed close to the boiler in the return pipe and fitted with a ball 
tap, so that the pipes could be kept full of water, as is the case, or should 
be, in actual practice. 
Boilers that are employed in contests in future to heat a given quan¬ 
tity of piping should be the trade size, and nor capable of heating 5000 
instead of 2000 feet. A boiler too large for the work it has to do means 
a wasteful expenditure of fuel. In nearly every case in the late contest 
(Deards' coils excepted) the boilers were too powerful for the work they 
had to do. It will be seen in one case the water was forced out of the 
return from the boiler instead of the flow pipe. In two others the water 
was at boiling point or nearly approaching it. It must be remembered 
that in practice it is very rarely indeed that the temperature of the water 
rises to 200° Fahr. in the boiler. It is just as easy to boil the water in 
large boilers as small ones if plenty of fuel is placed under them, and 
they have insufficient work to do. We want a boiler in gardens that cm 
be heated as quickly as a locomotive, at the same time to be durable and 
capable of maintaining a steady heat combined with the greatest economy. 
The last point depends in a large measure upon the stoker. 
Another suggestion, and the last, is that each boiler should oe stoked 
after lighting the fire, say for one hour, and then only hourly, until bank¬ 
ing time. This more resembles the practice in gardens than for one or 
more men to be engaged in stoking the whole of the day pushing on the 
