November 11, 1880. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDERER. 
431 
Harding, F.R.Met.Soc.; “ The Climate of Carlisle,” byiThomas G. Benn, 
F.R.Met.Soc. ; “ Results of Hourly Readings derived from a Redier 
Barograph at Geldeston, Norfolk, during the four years ending February, 
1886,” by E. T. Dowson, F.R.Met.Soc.; 11 Results of Observations taken 
at Delanasau, Bua, Fiji, 1881-1885,” by R. L. Holmes, F.R.Met.Soc. 
- In December of last year a plant of Stapelia gigantea was 
noted as flowering in Mr. Major’s collection of curios at Cromwell House, 
Croydon. The plant is now, and has been for some time, flowering again, 
the flowers being produced from near the base of the Cactus-like stems. 
They are remarkable alike from their singular appearance, and in attract¬ 
ing large carrion flies, that “ strike ” them, maggots resulting, which 
seem quite at home crawling about the segments of the flowers. These 
are stout, resembling in texture and appearance the skin of an animal, 
being dark purplish brown in colour and thickly covered with long silky 
hairs. They recurve like those of a Lilium lancifolium, and when extended 
each flower is 6 inches across. The odour from the flowers, especially in 
the morning, is so offensive that persons whose olfactory nerves are at alj 
sensitive cannot long remain in the house in which the plant displays 
its peculiar charms to its owner, his gardener, and the gadflies. 
WATERTIGHT ASHPITS. 
HOT v. COLD WATER. 
. I AM pleased to find Mr. Bardney favouring with a detailed reply on 
this question, also Mr. Taylor, “Albion,” and Mr. Muir so strongly 
supporting my theory. Mr. Bardney is quite right in saying that the 
system is not a new one, yet I am strongly of opinion that it is not nearly 
so general in gardens as it deserves to be. In the article penned by me 
on stoking nearly two years ago I stated the plan was copied by me from 
large furnaces. My contribution was given the leading position in the 
Journal of November 27th, 1884. 
I am not surprised to find that Mr. Bardney does not lay much stress 
upon his theory. From this we may tairly conclude that the cold water 
at any rate has shown no very striking results. For this 1 was in some 
degree prepared, for by no means could T comprehend how anything 
approaching a cooling tendency could be obtained. This is confirmed by 
the fact that Mr. Bardney’s large boilers are not proof against twisting, 
and yet three advantages remain—better draught, no dusty ashes, and no 
sulphurous fumes from the clinkers, if they be at once put in the ashpit 
to stack, as in our case, but this latter practice would operate a little 
against Mr. Bardney’s system, as it would raise the temperature of the 
water. I have tried the flow system in order to test the lowest tem¬ 
perature, but unless a very considerable quantity of water is used there 
seems to be no means of keeping it below 70°, and then only with open 
doors. With a tap and piece of hose, as mentioned by Mr. Taylor, the 
labour of refilling is very trifling indeed, and is done while the stoker is 
brushing up the stokehole twice each day. 
Mr. Bardney hardly, I think, draws a fair comparison in the case of 
his gold medal boiler heating 1500 feet of 4-inch piping in the con¬ 
servatory under bis care during the last eight years. I have not had the 
pleasure of visiting Norris Green, much as I have long desired to do so, 
but if I am not wrongly informed some very fine and well-grown 
Camellias help to grace the conservatory there. This being so, it is not 
very difficult to estimate the amount of hard work it is called upon to do. 
The same boiler employed to heat some other departments might have 
equally as much to do in three years. The quantity of piping so wisely 
liberal for a conservatory doubtless represents ease rather than hard 
work. 
I hope Mr. Bardney will not conclude that I have any notion that 
stoking may be in fault under his care. My remarks are purely confined 
to theory. On the other hand, I admit that it is quite possible a good 
system of stoking with dry ashpits would go far to compensate for some 
bad habits of stoking with watertight ashpits. No one, perhaps, knows 
better than Mr, Bardney that it is alone the systematic carrying out 
of a good scheme which means economy. Evidently the insertion of 
the sentence through an oversight will prove to be a useful mistake. 
Mr. Bardney invites opinions regarding the Cornish form of boilers or 
the use of thinner bars, About the latter I think there can hardly be 
two opinions. Thinner bars of course mean so many more openings, less 
space between each for waste, and a correspondingly greater amount of 
outer surface upon which the cool air or vapour may act. 
It has been within my power to see many boilers for various purposes, 
and have as freely used such opportunities. Some have had water beneath, 
and some have not. As regards the fires belonging to locomotives and 
the like, it has to be considered what a vast difference there is between a 
fire running many hours during the day unattended, and, say, from 10 P.M. 
to 6 a.m., during which time the clinker is forming sometimes between 
the bars, and eventually cooling into a solid mass to be removed as best 
it can, though we have no trouble on this point—to use the commonest 
expression, they form as “ flat as pancakes.” In the case of locomotive 
fires this never happens owing to constant attention whenever in motion, 
nor are clinkers formed in the same proportion from good coal as from 
many kinds of coke which is most generally used in gardens. With most 
mill furnaces I do not think it is of very great importance whether there 
be water in the ashpits or not. Anyone who may have watched the 
regular care in their management, the coal rake with broad teeth being 
plied once in every ten to twenty minutes, the clinkers leaving mostly in 
small and roundish particles, while the fire is regulated into a rather 
uniform thickness to G inches, the new fuel added close to the door, to be 
pushed forward as it gets burnt through, must perceive that a strong 
current of cool air passes freely among the bars, and rarely do they 
become red hot more than half an inch downwards. How many gar¬ 
deners or stokers under the best of systems and management have needless 
labour through want of taller chimneys, or an additional row or two of 
piping. Probably there are more crooked bars owing to the latter than 
any other fault. 
Mr. Bardney seems a little curious with regard to the absorption of 
the vapour by the bars. I have very carefully watched this process 
several times, and have come to the conclusion that there is nothing to 
expel, that no sooner is the vapour absorbed than it is, in the service of 
cooling the bars, consumed.—E. Burton. 
I have read the various articles which have appeared in the Journal 
of Horticulture bearing on this subject, expecting to find in some of 
them the results accruing from steam or water vapour passing over red 
hot iron and through a charcoal fire. Excepting Mr. Taylor’s reference 
to the oxygen derived from the water, none seem familiar with the 
changes which occur; and although my pen is not able to do justice to 
this, to all appearance important subject, it may influence those of more 
experience and greater knowledge to “lend their light and leading” 
towards the end in view. 
Instead of cold water in the ashpits I would strongly recommend hot, 
or steam, under the following reasons. As it is due to the presence of 
oxygen in the atmosphere, and which forms about one-fifth of its bulk, 
that all substances used for fuel are combustible, and as one-third by 
volume of water is oxygen, the other two-thirds being hydrogen, it will 
be seen that a greater amount of oxygen can be obtained from steam 
than from equal volumes of it and atmospheric air, and thereby com¬ 
bustion is facilitated by mixing the two. It is of interest to know what 
influence the red hot iron bars have on steam passing over them, also the 
changes which take place in it passing through a charcoal fire. 
A certain portion of the steam, or water vapour, which comes in 
contact with the red hot iron bars is decomposed, the iron taking up the 
oxygen and setting the hydrogen free. That part of the steam which 
passes the red hot bars unchanged undergoes a similar decomposition in 
coming in contact with the red hot charcoal, the charcoal taking up the 
oxygen and forming carbonic acid gas. That portion of this carbonic 
acid gas which passes through the centre of the fire takes up another atom 
of carbon in the molecule, converting it into carbonic oxide, but on leaving 
the fire and coming in contact with oxygen it takes up another atom of 
oxygen, and is carried away by the draught in this form (carbonic acid 
gas). 
The free hydrogen which has been liberated by the red hot iron bars 
and charcoal passes through the fire unchanged, excepting that a small 
per-centage may unite with other elements eliminated by the burning fuel, 
its combustion taking place on coming in contact with oxygen, the pro¬ 
duct being water. Now we know that the greatest heat the chemist has 
ever obtained has been by the combustion of these two gases— eg., the 
oxyhydrogen blow-pipe. This is the principle upon which is based the 
economy of having water in ashpits. However, the oxidation of the bars 
must not be overlooked, as this oxidation or rusting means their destruc¬ 
tion—not their preservation, as some seem to imagine—and necessitating 
their frequent renewal. This rust will, to a certain extent, prevent the 
clinkers taking hold of the bars, because the rusted part will give way 
with the clinkers ; yet a greater draught will be occasioned by the greater 
heat of the oxygen and hydrogen burning, which will have its influence 
in keeping the bars cold. 
To be able to utilise to the full the benefit derived from steam as a 
supporter of combustion a certain quantity of air ought to be allowed to 
pass in by the furnace door. I have held the opinion for some time 
that a jet of steam playing under the bars of a furnace would be of 
greater assistance in keeping up a temperature than either hot or cold 
water in the ashpit, but have not had an opportunity of proving this. Of 
course it must b« remembered that water evaporates at all temperatures, 
and hot or cold will always form an auxiliary in the combustion of coke, 
coal, and most substances used for fuel. Yet I do not wish it to be 
inferred that steam alone will support combustion. I believe that it must 
be mixed to a certain extent with air before it is of service for that pur¬ 
pose, and the extent to which it is advantageous to mix it will depend 
upon the size of the fire. 
From these statements it will be seen that the colder the water the 
less the benefits derived from its presence in the ashpit so far as ecocomy 
in fuel and a greater heat is concerned ; yet one is able to remove the 
ashes with impunity. — J. Riddell. 
INDIAN EXPERIENCES. 
(Continued from, page 4 0 8.) 
Interspersed amongst the Cocoanut tree are groups of Areca Palms, 
the fruit of which is so extensively chewed by the natives, in conjunction 
with the Betel leaf, a species of Pepper, Piper Betel. This is perhaps the 
most graceful of all the Palms found in India ; stem tall, straight, and 
slender, surrounded by a symmetical cluster of fronds, all forming a very 
beautiful object. I think it was Sir J. Hooker who aptly described the 
tree as like an arrow shot from Heaven. 
Everywhere nestling amongst this belt of Palms are to be seen native 
