September 9, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
221 
because they are seldom so hot—in fact, never should be, and there¬ 
fore the expansion is not so great. These valves should not be placed 
close to the boi'er, or if they are another should be placed about 
100 feet away if the mains run for that distance in a straight 
length. A good place for them is just before the mains branch to 
the right and left. At these points the pipes are more liable to break 
than in straight lengths if expansion is in any way impeded. These 
valves should always he placed in such positions where they can be 
got at readily, for they are liable to leak from the manner in which 
they are packed, for indiarubber rings will fail. The value of these 
valves is not recognised by the majority, and then they wonder why 
the joints are drawn—that is, when packed with iron filings, if not 
broken when the pipes are thoroughly tested. This is due to expan¬ 
sion, which would not have been the case if sufficient valves had 
been used as a preventive, according to the length of the mains. It 
should not require a large amount of intelligence to convince those 
who ignore the use of these valves when it is state 1 that the linear 
expansion of cast iron when heated from 32 3 to 212 3 is 135 inch in 
each 100 feet. What but leaky joints can be expected when no 
provision has been made for the expansion of the metal ? 
Air Taps and Tubes.— Air taps should be inserted on the 
highest point on the flow in all the houses—in fact, in any position 
where air is likely to accumulate. Brass taps should be used, and 
from them a few feet of copper tube, until the wall or end of the 
house to which they are to be secured is reached. From this point 
ordinaiy gas piping w'll do. If lead is used from the tap it is more 
liable to be broken -when work is being done in the houses than is 
the case with the copper tube. All air pipes should be open to ensure 
safety, but when provided with a tap they can be closed if at any 
time it is necessary to do so. It is a common practice to turn the 
ends of air pipes outside, but this I consider a mistake, for the ends 
may become stopped or frozen up during severe weather, and a 
breakage in the pipes is then almost certain. If carried up the roof 
or end of the house to a higher level than the supply cistern hot 
water will not be driven out of them when hard forcing is necessary. 
To be on the safe side, where a large quantity of piping has to be 
heated, an air pipe should be placed close to the boiler or attached to 
it; if in the latter it should be placed at its highest point and the 
end turned into the supply tank. This should be of 1-inch or three- 
quarter-inch iron pipe, and will insure the safety of the boiler, for it 
will be impossible to blow it. up if the fire is put on and the large valves 
on the mains, by neglect, have not been turned on. When two boilers 
are worked side by side this air pipe may be placed on the point on 
the flow pipe where the two unite into one pipe This arrangement 
will answer for both boilers, or whichever may be working ; but not 
if the valves are closed. It is best to place one to each boiler, but 
when the other system is followed it is necessary to carry a yard 
or two of the pipe backwards in an horizontal direction and then 
upright if the end is placed in the supply tank. This pipe should be 
sciewed together with a T cmnec'ion at the point from which it is 
run up vertically. One end of the T should be plugged, so that it 
can be opened and the pipe cleaned in case of corrosion. This 
provision should always be made with pipes of this description, and 
also the supply pipe from the cistern. Trouble has often been given 
in forcing a passage through pipes arranged without a T connection, 
but when provision is made the plug can be removed annually and 
the pipes examined and cleaned if they need it, and the plug returned 
in a few minutes. In very large arrangements another of these 
large air or safety pipes should be arranged. A good place for the 
second and third if desired is on the centre of three socket connec¬ 
tions where the mains branch to the right and left if this form of 
arranging the pipes has been followed. With one, two, or three of 
these pipes on the main, according to the extent of them, there is no 
fear of failure from the accumulation of air. It is important that 
every provision should be made for the escape of air, for it must be 
remembered that air is 827 times lighter than water, and therefore 
would escape from the air pipes that number of times faster than 
water would pass through them. Under these circumstances it 
cannot be expected that air will descend to escape, and for this 
reason air pipes should always bo placed on the highest points of the 
pipes. 
Taps for Drawing Water.— While tapping the pipes half or 
three-quarter brass taps should also be inserted in the flow pipe in 
every house. They should be placed close to the water tanks ; if 
this is not possible they can be carried to them by the aid of a 
wrought iron pipe of the same size as the tap. It saves consider 
able labour in a large garden to be able to run hot water into the 
tank when tepid water is required for watering and syringing both 
plants and fruits. Some object to use the water from the pipes for 
this purpose, but experience has convinced me that it will do no 
injury. It would not be advisable to use the water for these purposes 
if left in the pipes for years, as is the case in some gardens. When 
large supplies are drawn daily during the winter and spring months 
the water is perfectly fresh through being constantly changed. In 
addition to this all the pipes as well as the boiler should be emptied 
annually ; this cannot be too forcibly impressed upon all. By so 
doing a large amount of sediment is removed from the boiler and 
pipes, but this will be further discussed when considering boilers and 
the provision made for emptying them —Wm. Bardney. 
(To be continued.) 
FORCING STRAWBERRIES. 
C Continued from page 151.) 
Supporting the Fruit.— Forked twigs of Birch, Hazel, &c., 
form the best supports for the fruit, cutting them into suitable 
lengths, the lower ends pointed and thrust into the soil at such 
an angle and position as will best suit the trusses and support 
the fruit above the foliage or clear of the pot. The trusses or 
individual fruits have their stems placed in the fork so th >t the 
fruit will be clear of the stick, pot, and foliage. It will get air 
and light without impediment, and forming under those condi¬ 
tions its quality will be enhanced, and there will not be nearly as 
much danger of its getting damaged, or of damping or spot¬ 
ting through being in contact with other substances. Small 
stakes, and the fruit stem secured to them with string, will be 
found useful in the case of large fruit, which is very much more 
liable to damage and damp than the small or medium-sized fruit. 
These last will have all the support they need on the pot edge, 
but this is scarcely growing Strawberries. 
Gathering the Fruit.—T he fruit should, as far as prac¬ 
ticable, be gathered in the morning, and it should be just ripe, 
which requires some experience and judgment with different 
varieties so as to tell when a Strawberry is fit to be gathered. 
An under-ripe fruit and an over-ripe one is unsatisfactory : when 
nnder-npe it is too sharp, and if over-ripe it is nit brisk enough 
for most palates. The fruit should always be gathered with 
sufficient stem to hold it by. 
Retarding the Fruit. —Sometimes the fruit comes on too 
rapidly, and it is necessary to keep it back—retard it, in order to 
maintain the succession, or reserve it for particular occasion. 
This is a difhcuk matter, as it will not keep, and some judgment 
is necessary. It is no use, however, striving to retard the fruit 
before it is swelled and is well advanced in colour; then much 
may be done by turning the fruit from the sun, or removing the 
plants to a north house, where plenty of air can be admitted, 
and with all the light possible without sun the fruit will ripen 
perfectly; indeed, I have been told that sun-neated fruits are 
never so gjod flavoured as those that have not been sun-heated. 
This I can understand—viz., the p'ants have been kept too dry, 
and then the sun heats the fruit, the quality being considerably 
deteriorated, but with the plants duly watered and ventilated 
there is nothing like sun for improving the flavour. If a north 
house is not at command, a single thickness of tiffany shading 
will prevent the fruit ripening so fast, the temperature being 
kept at 60° to 65°. • When the fruit is ripe, or very nearly so, the 
plants may be moved to a cool airy fruit room, and have the 
shutters down so as to admit light. In such position it will keep 
some time. There must not be any attempt to keep the fruit off 
the plants. In an ice house it will keep, of course, and it will 
have little or no flavour when taken out if it remain there 
long. 
The Plants after Forcing. —The plants are useful after 
forcing for placing out, and if the autumn is favourable they 
will afford a crop of fruit at that time, and if not they will give a 
full crop the following summer. Early-forced plants are not 
good for planting out, as the plants are too much enfeebled by 
the process, but plants that are not started before the new year, 
or ripen their fruit in early April, and all those started later are 
suitable. They should be hardened before being placed outdoors 
— i.e , those that ripen their crops from March to May inclusive; 
late crops, or those off by the close of May may be placed out¬ 
doors at once, the other needing frame or other protection until 
hardened. They may be planted in rows 2 feet asunder, and 
18 inches apart in the rows for the early varieties, allowing 
6 inches more space etch way for the larger varieties. In plant¬ 
ing firm the soil well about the roots, and water well, repeating 
as the weather necessitates. Keep the plants free from weeds, 
give a mulching, and protect the autumn fruit with nets. Our 
autumns are too variable for reliance on autumn fruit, but I have 
had some good fruits in the north of Yorkshire by covering with 
span-roofe I frames so as throw off the wet, and at the same time 
admit of a thorough current of air Sir Harry and Vicomtesse 
Hericart de Thury are the best autumu fruiters. After a year s 
fruiting outdoors the plants may be cleared off, but 1 usually 
keep them a second year, and they invariably bear well. 
