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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ December 9, 1886 
is an old-fashioned house, large span-roofed, and contains two beds 
planted, with Camellias three-parts of the length, with a walk up the 
centre. The roof is well draped with climbers, consisting of Tacsonias, 
Lapagerias, Rhynchospermum, and several others of acknowledged beauty. 
In front of the window opening into the drawing room is a circular bed, 
in which are arranged various flowering plants as they come into season 
In the centre of this bed is a fine specimen of Alsophila australis with a 
stem 8 feet high. There is also planted in the middle of one of the 
Camellia beds such a plant of Dicksonia antarctica such as is seldom seen ; 
some of the fronds measure over 12 feet in length. A cavern-like entrance 
is provided to a cool fernery, which is arranged to resemble a natural 
rockery as much as possible. In this are some good examples of Wood- 
wardia radicans, several varieties of Killarney Fern, Adiantum Capillus- 
Yeneris, &c. Quitting this house a winding path leads to the sub-tropical 
garden, where hardy Palms, Tobacco, New Zealand Flax, Indiarubber, 
Variegated Maize, American Aloes, Solanum robustum, and various other 
plants too numerous to mention are grown in the summer. One striking 
feature is a group of Acer Negundo, which have been taken possession of 
by Clematises, the purple flowers of the latter and the variegated leaves of 
the Acer presenting a picture not soon forgotten. The condition of the 
garden generally reflects great credit upou the able gardener and his staff. 
—Hortus. 
HARD WATER AND BOILERS. 
I CAN fully sympathise with Mr. Iggulden and others situated under 
similar disheartening circumstances. He appears, however, to draw con¬ 
solation from the fact that they possess a good flow of water into their 
boilers and pipes to make up for that which is wasted by broken joints, 
leaking valves, &c. It does not appear to him that the more hard water 
he allows to enter his boiler the greater the sediment or incrustation that 
becomes firmly attached to the inner surface When this deposit of saline 
matter occurs in a boiler it is very much injured by the increased heat of 
the surface exposed to the fire, and considerably more fuel will be con¬ 
sumed in raising the requisite heat to be transmitted to the various houses 
in order to keep up the desired temperature. Not only is there a waste in 
fuel, but injury to the boiler, for the metal is certain to burn where the 
sediment is deposited, which results in the many failures and patches that 
Mr. Iggulden has to attach to the boilers under his charge. 
Your correspondent exclaims, “ We cannot soften our water,” and 
then leaves the subject to detail the deplorable breakdowns and incon¬ 
veniences that arise from the use of hard water. Amateurs and less ex¬ 
perienced men than Mr. Iggulden may conclude that there is no means 
by which such catastrophes may be averted. To the amateur with one or 
two houses, and one boiler only, a breakdown may prove very serious and 
his plants be entirely ruined while a patch is being put on. First of all 
gardeners and amateurs should find out whether the water that they use 
is of such a nature that it will form a deposit on the sides of the boiler 
when heated. This can be accomplished by a very simple method, for 
hard waters are very difficult to wash in, as they contain salts, the bases 
of which are lime and magnesia. All such waters are termed hard, and if 
used in hot-water apparatuses will deposit a thin or thick coat of saline 
matter on the inner surface, according to the quantity of water that may 
be applied to the boiler through the feed pipe. Where water is derived 
from the chalk it is very disagreeable to wash in, and often contains as 
much as eighteen grains of chalk in each gallon of water. These mineral 
salts are not naturally soluble in water, but solubility is due to carbonic 
acid gas. If this gas can be driven out of the water the salts are preci¬ 
pitated, and the water becomes soft. This can he accomplished in a very 
large measure by boiling, and also by adding a little lime water. “ The 
lime appropriates the carbonic acid, and consequently the salts originally 
in the water and the newly made carbonate of lime are precipitated 
together.” Another method I was told the other day, and one that I 
should say is good, is to place a quantity of petroleum in the boiler 
before filling it and the pipes with water. The oil, which clings to the 
metal, prevents the calcareous matter in hard waters from attaching 
itself, and therefore the water holds it in solution. I may not have given 
all the necessary details ; if not, I hope the person who told me will do so, 
for he is well able and an experienced writer to this Journal. 
In spite of these and all other methods that may be advocated for 
softening hard waters, my advice is only use rain water in such localities, 
aad it will entirely prevent incrustation, burning the metal, or a waste of 
fuel. It will also do away with these disheartening breakdowns that 
appear to result in many cases from the want either of knowledge or 
forethought. 
It may be argued that this is impracticable in Mr. Iggulden’s case and 
in the case of others, for it would prove insufficient to keep his boiler and 
pipes that are constantly leaking supplied with water. Others, and 
perhaps your correspondent, may reason that they have no means for 
storing the rain water for this purpose. Supposing there is not, I think 
no employer would object to such provision being made, for it would pay 
for itself in a very short time. Repairing pipes, patching boilers, pulling 
down and replacing brickwork, in addition to new bo.lers every few years, 
means a large and useless outlay that might be remedied and prove vastly 
advantageous to all concerned. Drawing hot water from the heating 
apparatus for watering and syringing could be avoided, and then very 
little water would be required daily, for natural waste by evaporation 
from the pipes and boiler is not a serious item, for a few cans of water in 
large arrangements would suffice for filling the supply tank. 
Mr. Iggulden seems to dread an upset, but what would this be in com¬ 
parison with the comfort and freedom from care that would result from a 
safe and satisfactory system of heating by hot water ? Tho cost of a new 
system could readily be estimated, and plans would quickly be forth¬ 
coming if solicited. Rotten iron pipers buried in the ground are not worth 
digging out, for they would net pay for the labour, to say nothing of an 
unnecessary upset. It appears plainly to me that a new system would 
quickly pay for itself in the saving of fuel and annual repairs, if only 
provis on was made for feeding the apparatus with rain instead of hard 
water. Good boilers with the pipes fixed in a satisfactory manner should 
give no trouble for a period of twenty years. I am not taking into con¬ 
sideration breakage that may arise in any form by negligence in turning 
on valves, &c. Failure, upset, and inconvenience may arise in well- 
arranged schemes if the pipes under ground have not the joints packed 
in a durable and lasting manner. Mr. Iggulden seems to think that joints 
packed with iron filings are the cause of many of his failures, and it is 
evident that he does not admire these joints. With what material would 
he pack the joints underground ? Rust joints have been condemned as 
the cause of failure when failure can often be attributed to other sources. 
How frequently are iron joints blamed when they break, and the real 
cause is due to the expansion of the metal. I have seen sockets split and 
the joints partially drawn in addition to the pipes being twisted in all 
directions because no provision had been made for expansion, and the 
cause has been laid to the joints. Rust joints when properly made with 
a little red lead in a dry state mixed with the filings and a very small 
quantity of sal ammoniac—too much of the last being often the cause of 
failure—and the pipes left free after they are fixed, that is, not built in 
tightly with brickwork, will prove the most durable of all joints. To 
insure safety one expansion joint to every 100 feet of 4-inch piping on the 
mains should be used, and failure from broken joints will be practically 
unknown. 
Upright, tubular, or any tube or complicated boiler is unsuitable 
where incrustation takes place by the use of hard water. No boiler 
should be used that requires setting in brickwork except at the front or 
back to form the back flues to the chimney, then manholes, if such they 
may be termed, should be provided on the top and at each side so that 
they could be cleaned out annually. If this provision were made an 
ordinary labourer might readily clean out the boilers and fit the plate 
again securely. Two boilers should|be always set side by side, so that one 
can be worked while the other was cleaned out or repaired. The “ Red 
Rose ” boiler certainly offers every facility for cleaning, as it can be 
taken to pieces, cleaned, and put together again most readily. But in 
spite of whatever boiler or provision is made, hard water proves a source 
of annoyance, and the easiest, safest, and cheapest method of overcoming 
such difficulties is the use of rain water.—A. W. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
December 7th. 
The last meeting of the year was held in the East Crush Room of the 
Royal Alb .rt Hall on Tuesday last, when there was a good attendance of 
the members of the Fruit and Floral Committees, but the exhibits were 
comparatively few. The meeting terminated with hearty votes of thanks 
to the.Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of both Committees. 
Frdit Committee. —Present: Harry J. Veitch, Esq., in the chair, and 
Messrs. John Burnett, W. Warren, J. Woodbridge, G. T. Miles, S. Ford, 
James Smith, T. B. Heywood, Harrison Weir, F. Mason, G. Norman, C. 
Ross, F. Rutland, W. Denning, R. D. Blackmore, Win. Paul, G. Bunyard, 
Philip Crowley, and Dr. Robert Hogg. Mr. Thomas Coomber, The Hendre 
Gardens, Monmouth, sent three grand Pine Apples, two of Smooth Cayenne 
and one of Charlotte Rothschild, the latter 10 inches high aDd 6 inches in 
diameter at the basp, beautifully proportioned and well ripened, they all had 
fine vigorous crowns. A cultural commendation was awarded. Mr. J. 
Harris, The Gardens, Singleton, South Swansea, showed six medium sized 
Pine Apples, for which a vote of thanks was accorded. Mr. J. Stewart, The 
Gardens, Lmgford Park, Maldon, Essex, showed several good fruits of 
a seedling Apple. Messrs. Caldwell A Son3, Knutsford, had a seedling 
Apple named Lady de Tabley, and Miss Gray showed a seedling Apple, all 
of which were parsed. Mr. W. R. Strong, Wellington College, sent samples 
of Celery Veitch’s Standard Bearer, large and heavy. Mr. J. Hans, 
16, Mayold Road, Clapton, exhibited a watering can, with a handle curving 
over the top and a rose intended to distribute a very fine spray. It was 
highly commended as an improved form of can. 
Floral Committee. —Present:—G. F. Wilson, Esq., in the chair, ani 
Messrs. W. Wiiks, J. Laing, H. Bennett, T. Baines, Richard Dean, H. Herbst, 
J. Walker, J. Hudson, W. Holmes, H. Canned, G. Duffield, 0. Noble, H. 
Ballantine, W. B. Kellock, J. Dominy, H. M. Pollett, A. J. Lendy, E. Hill, 
H. Turner, James O’Brien, H. Low, J. Douglas, and G. Paul. 
From Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, came plants of the ever-flowering 
Primula poculitormis, a large clump of Helleborus niger maximus, the 
yellow Primula floribunda, and the white Narcissus monophyllus. A new 
yellow sport from Chrysanthemum Ethe 1 , named Mrs. H. Jones, was also 
shown, the blooms exactly similar in form to the parent, but of a soft clear 
yellow. A vote of thanks was awa ded for this useful late variety, which 
well deserved a certificate. 
A vote of thanks was accorded to Messrs. C. Smith & Son, Caledon'a 
Nursery, Guernsey, for Chrysanthemum Governor of Guernsey, a variety 
with yellow flat incurving florets. G. F. Wilson, Esq., Weybridge, sent 
flow rs of a Veronica like salicifolia, cut from plants in the open where the 
temperature had fallen to 15° Fahr. Mr. W. Smyth, The Gardens, Basing 
Park, Alton, Hants, showed a flower of Amaryllis equestris ; and Messrs. 
Hans Niemand, Birmingham, sent a variegated Poinsettia, the leaves 
prettily edged with white. 
A vote of thanks was adjudged to J. C. Bowring, E-q., Forest Farm, 
Windsor Forest, for a seedling Cypripedium, a cross between C. villosum 
and C. insigne, the dorsal sepal green margined with white and spotted 
ith purple, the petals and lip glossy and veined with brownish purple. 
