526 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Dejember 9, 1886. 
suburban gardens, now bare, bleak, and gloomy during the months re¬ 
ferred to. Now, in all those places at least the foregoing early varieties 
can be grown ; in fact, those I have named can more or less successfully 
be grown in any beds or borders. If Chrysanthemums were as largely 
grown as I think they could and ought to be, nurserymen’s orders would be 
multipled a hundredfold. But although the early bloomers are very wel¬ 
come and might desirably be first taken up by young beginners, the real 
aim should be, where possible, to have the best varieties, and the number 
of those I have found to fail with me under the subjoined circum¬ 
stances are very limited, several hundreds tried. 
Preparation .—Given a wall as I noted already, the southern aspect is 
best, the next consideration is the preparation of the space for them to 
grow in. I excavated a border nearly 3 feet deep and as many wide, 
removed the soil and stones, and buried at the bottom several loads of 
fairly rotten manure, covering with lime rubbish—any who can get this, 
or brick rubbish, should use, say a sixth or so—and a quantity of rich 
maiden loam. Now, with good treatment and a border such as this, or 
even less if it cannot be had, I have yet to learn of any variety that will 
not fairly succeed therein. The next two months is the time to see about 
the matter, the sooner the better ; in fact, cuttings may be taken now any 
day when they can be had. I may be told it is too soon, but in many 
cases this is not so. First, the longer your plants have to grow the finer 
will be your blooms ; and secondly, a cutting fit to take and root now 
would be worthless a month or two hence. But I do not intend going 
over the cultural details, and will pass on to some peculiarities of treat¬ 
ment. 
General Treatment .—In such a border the growth will be robust and 
strong, and if not wanted tall they must be stopped a few times ; some 
prefer light lines of wire paling to tie or train to, say three or four. I 
find it looks best nailed with red tape or shreds as growth proceeds. In 
this way every inch of space can be covered and superfluous branches 
thinned out. The brilliant leathery foliage is quite a sight, especially 
when watered regularly. But under those circumstances it may be borne 
in mind, unlike pots, there is little danger of the plants suffering if water¬ 
ing is deferred, and this is a most material point. Constant syringing 
two or three times a day in very hot weather is, however, most desirable 5 . 
To have fine blooms thinning is indispensable. 
Protection .—Frost threatened in the beginning of October, and I 
considered heavy rains had better be warded off as well as wind and 
storms. How could it be conveniently done ? That was the question. I 
could not use glass, even if I did not mind the expense of getting sashes 
for 200 feet. I made a curtain of medium quality calico, to fall down by 
night, or at any time I choose during bad weather, and folded up by day. 
It can be tied at the bottom when dropped down, and, so far, has been a 
perfect success, and I am sure will keep frost out better than glass, being 
a better non-conductor. 
I had intended saying something of the varieties I found to yield the 
finest blooms—indeed, some varieties did much better than the same in 
pots—but I must not now intrude further.—W. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
[We have received a box of bright and beautiful blooms from ou r 
correspondent.] 
PHLOX AMCENA. 
It is of such rare occurrence to have any of the alpine Phloxes ir 
flower in the end of November that we have thought it would not be oir 
of place to give you a practical illustraiion of what this lovely alpine is 
capable of performing when its requirements are well suited. We have 
lifted a small tuft from the open ground and potted the same for youi 
inspection. This has been one of the prettiest alpines in our nurseries at 
Hampton throughout this season, having been continuously in flowei 
since the middle of last May, and up to November 29th we found thf 
fading blossoms of a week ago, and umbels of fresh buds springing forth 
which in a day or two will be aglow with their lovely pink blossoms anc 
this notwithstanding that we registered 1C° of frost n-1 quite a weel 
before. We are not aware that it is prone to such persistent flowering 
and our own experience is fully endorsed by that of our manager. It if 
certainly most lovely when seen en masse, carpeting the ground with its 
dense creeping green tufts, which are smothered with its pleasing flowers 
We may add that it has had no special treatment other than receiving \ 
good dressing of cow manure at planting time. Bedding Violas stil 
continue to yield flowers, but the recent frosts have shattered them con 
siderably.— Collins Bros. & Gabriel, 39, Waterloo Boad, S.E. 
[The Phlox was extremely pretty, the pink flowers being of large siz< 
and most freely produced. Grown in pots the plant would be ven 
attractive for the edges of stages in greenhouses at this time of year 
The Violas, of which some blooms were also sunt, were very bright anc 
fresh.] 6 
WATERTIGHT ASHPITS—HOT v. COLD WATER. 
The article contributed by Mr. Burton in the autumn of 1884 does 
not contain anything to which I take exception, for the question of 
vapour now under discussion is not raised. He merely refers to 
watertight ashpits and the cleanliness that arises from keeping water in 
them. & 
The subject at first was the preservation of the fire bars by the aid of 
hot v. cold water, but it has now assumed a totally different aspect, for the 
combustion of the fuel has been brought to the front in place of the 
furnace bars. Both are of vast importance, and I acknowledge with thanks 
the various contributions that have appeared up to the present. While 
on the subject cf combustion, Mr. W, Taylor’s hint was a good one, and 
Mr. J. Riddell gives valuable information in his article, for which I 
specially thank him, he having gone into the matter in a thoroughly 
scientific manner. I said in my first reply to Mr. Burton that when water 
was kept below the furnace bars the fire burned brighter and the draught 
appeared better. There is no doubt about this, for the double amount of 
oxygen contained in the air in the water will largely assist in facilitating 
combustion, provided a good supply of air is admitted as well. I have no 
doubt that sufficient oxygen is not admitted in many cases to convert the 
earbonic oxide that is formed into carbonic acid before it makes its escape, 
hut the thickness of the fire and the manner in which it is banked at 
night has a very great effect upon the perfect combustion of the fuel. 
This may be successfully accomplished by day, but in very few gardens 
indeed are the fires so managed at night that it can be said combustion is 
perfect, even with draught and a supply of vapour. Perhaps waste, as 
regards the combustion of fuel, is in no case greater than in locomotive 
engines which, I believe, have an artificial blast from the steam, and it is 
estimated by Mr. Andrew Murray, as stated by Hood, “ that 150 cubic 
feet of air should pass through the furnace for each pound of coal con¬ 
sumed in order to produce perfect combustion.” Nothing approaching 
this quantity need be passed through our furnaces ; nevertheless, it is very 
questionable if sufficient is admitted at night when the fires are banked, 
filled to last till morning, probably half a ton of fuel being placed on or 
nearly so. Waste may be prevented during the day, but at night it is 
impossible when the fire is left so as to keep the temperatures right say 
for ten hours. It would indeed be both interesting and instructive to 
hear how banking is accomplished and the fire managed so that perfect 
combustion will take place at night, then many besides myself will learn 
a valuable lesson in stoking. 
It appears from that valuable article of Mr. Riddell’s that hot water 
beneath the furnace bars, while it aids combustion, does not act bene¬ 
ficially in tbe preservation of the bars. I take it, then, that the water 
evaporated by the high temperature Mr. Burton thinks beneficial, that 
the bars are doubly subjected to destruction. The “temperature of 
maximum strength of cast iron has been estimated at about 300°,” after 
this temperature is once passed it decreases in strength considerably and 
becomes much weaker to resist the strain to which it is subjected. It 
has been also found that iron exposed to the fire loses its “ fibrous 
texture,” and presents a “ crystallised appearance,” and that wrought 
iron exposed to the “ steam of water for a considerable time also becomes 
crystallised,” the same effect has been “ observed without the presence of 
steam.” Cast iron must decrease wonderfully in strength if the tem¬ 
perature of an “ ordinary furnace,” as stated by Murray, is about 1000°; 
Tredgold places it about 800°. It is clear, then, that the bars are 
weakened by heat ; the more intense it is the weaker they become, and 
the more are they burnt. Steam or vapour, instead of preserving them, 
appears to assist in their destruction by bringing about oxidation, vapour 
then assisting, by adding intensity to the fire, in burning them more 
than they otherwise would be, and rusting them in the bargain. The 
repulsion between iron and water has been proved to exist, even at 
moderate temperatures, and to increase rapidly as the temperature rises, 
and red-hot iron repels it completely. This is another reason why I 
could not accept the hot vapour theory as an agent for the preservation 
of the bars. Mr. Burton concludes that hot vapour—the temperature of 
which it is impossible to estimate, for it must become heated in its passage 
from the surface of the water to the bars—keeps the bars cool, how can 
it if they are hot and repel it ? Cool water must act more beneficially 
in the preservation of the bars than that, for it would assist in keeping 
or cooling the air necessary for combustion that entered by the ashpit 
door. Tbe cooler the air in the ashpit the cooler it must be when it 
reaches the base of the bars. If this is so, then cold water must prove 
more beneficial than hot, but not for the thorough combustion of the 
fuel. I said I should not be surprised if the advantages arising from 
water in the stokehole proved to be more imaginary than real, and I think 
so still, as far as the protection of the bars are concerned. If hot water 
aids in increased heat, and rusting the bars to pieces, so must cool water 
act in the same manner, though to a less extent. 
I thoroughly believe that if the bars are to last in large furnaces where 
the heat is intense they must be cast on a totally different principle than 
has been the case for most hot-water apparatus (for gardens) used up to 
the pre»ent time. The following quotation is from “ Hood on Heating ” 
(page 91), I think if acted upon will be the means of preserving the bars 
much longer than if water is evaporated beneath them. “ When a rapid 
draught and quick combustion are required the furnace bars may very ad¬ 
vantageously be made narrow and deep, so as to allow a large proportion¬ 
ate space for the entrance of the air. Instead, therefore, of using furnace 
bars or If of an inch wide, with half an inch air space between the 
bars, they may be made about three-eighths of an inch in width and about 
4J or 5 inches deep, tapering at the lower edge to about one-eighth of an 
inch and made with shoulders as usual, to allow about half-inch air 
spaces. Bars of this kind will have many advantages in particular cases. 
They will allow more than twice tbe quantity of air to pass through that 
the other bars will do, and therefore twice the quantity of coal can be 
burned on each square foot of the bars ; and they will last longer than 
bars of the ordinary construction.” 
The author (Hood) at the end of 1842 suggested the use of these bars 
in locomotive engines, which is the most severe test they could be put to, 
and the result has been completely successful owing to the extreme thin¬ 
ness of the bars ; the air passing between them keeps them always cool, 
which is impossible if the bars much exceed this thickness. The great 
depth of the bar gives the necessary stiffness ; and the result of nearly 
