226 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March J5, 13?6. 
65° in mild weather, it is common to find it 65° on the cold, 
and 70° on the mild night. When the weather is uncertain 
this is perfectly justifiable. As a rule, however, the tem¬ 
perature should be maintained at that ordered, and at making- 
up time the fire will, if properly attended to in the earlier part 
of the evening, be sufficiently burned down to be easily 
cleared of ashes and clinkers. On the other hand, if the fire 
at leaving off work time has been banked up so as to last 
until ten o’clock, in order that pleasure may take precedence 
of duty, then it is likely we shall find something beyond the 
5° extra, the temperature corresponding to the day maximum 
with the fire low or nearly out. Fires ought to be so attended 
to through the afternoon and early evening as to be ready to 
act upon the temperature upon any change in the weather 
between leaving off time and the final banking up at ten 
o’clock, and the stoker must take a forecast of the weather 
prior to seeing to the fires. 
A good stoker invariably developes into a good gardener, 
inasmuch as stoking requires unremitting attention, con¬ 
stant observation, forethought, and sound judgment. Under 
ordinary conditions the influence of solar heat will be spent 
by leaving off time, the temperature having settled down to 
its ordinary height from fire heat, and the heat subsequently, 
or through the night, will be dependant upon the stoker. If 
the night be dull the fire must be such as to maintain the tem¬ 
perature steadily as required, needing only freshening if frost 
set in, or snow or rain fall. Firing by fits and starts is only 
wasting fuel, and a certain method of insuring disaster in 
culture. Starting the fire on an appearance of frost is right, 
but it is highly prejudicial to keep it going briskly until the 
pipes are as hot as possible, and the temperature made to rise 
rapidly, for the simple reason that the heat will increase after¬ 
wards and the night temperature be too high. Allowance 
must be made for the continued action of the fire, and the 
latter regulated accordingly. Some start fires and leave them 
until they are burned low or almost out. Then the fire takes 
time to get up again, and begins to act at a time when the 
temperature should be falling, the house being 5° or 10° 
warmer than is necessary in the morning. 
A very important matter in stoking is the regulation of 
the draught by means of the damper. There is no question 
of the importance of having a damper in the flue, beyond the 
furnace or flues that are used to give direct or indirect heat 
to the boiler. There should be the usual furnace door, with 
half inch iron plate with its inch cavity to keep the heat of 
the furnace from being cooled, as it would were there only 
the outer plate or door radiating the heat from its highly 
heated surface. The inner plate is usually pierced with some 
half-inch holes, which prevent its being highly heated and 
keep it from warping. A hole or two in the outer plate may 
or may not be of consequence; if there be they should have 
slides for closing or opening them at will, but I do not see 
that we want air by the furnace door. The ashpit door must 
of course have a ventilator in its centre, as some air is 
essential for even slow combustion, and by these means we 
can regulate the draught. Nevertheless, we need something 
to keep the heat about the boiler, and a damper in the 
ascending shaft or chimney is advisable, so that by regulating 
the current of air entering by the ashpit door, whether these 
are folding or sliding, and keeping the heat from passing up 
the chimney, we obtain complete control over the draught. 
The damper must be used according to the weather expected. 
If at banking time there are signs of frost the draught must 
be regulated according to its probable intensity, whilst for 
rain it should be regulated as for 5° of frost, and in case of 
snow being likely to fall calculate and regulate as for 10° of 
frost. Always allow for the external temperature descending 
through the night. If it does not do so the heat in the 
morning will be too high, but it must be remembered that 
for at least half the night the temperature was right. 
In the morning whilst the fire is low make a thorough 
clearance of ashes, clinkers, and if need be of soot from the 
flues, the aim always being to secure a clean implement, 
which works more easily and effectively than a dirty one, 
besides being cheaper or more economical. It is essential 
that the fire have a clean course, air having free access to the 
furnace, and an equally free exit for the products of combus¬ 
tion. Nothing indicates the character of the stoker so much 
as the way the stokehole is kept. If slovenly the boiler 
and everything in connection with it is out of order, the heat 
irregular, and great waste of fuel occurs. A good stoker will 
raise the heat in good time in the morning. He will be at 
work betimes, and at eight o’clock in winter can have a 
temperature little short of that required as the day maximum 
from fire heat, and whether there be sun or not a good long 
day is secured. It is no use forcing growth in the dark, for 
we cannot then obtain elaboration of the sap or solidified, 
short jointed, sturdy, fruitful growth. A forecast will be 
taken of the coming day as of the night. If likely to be a 
dull day the fire will be so regulated as to maintain a steady 
and progressive heat until one or two in the afternoon, then 
the tendency will be downwards though steadily, the chief 
thing being in dull days to maintain the growth already 
secured healthy without any great addition until there is sun 
and light to effect its proper maturation. If likely to have 
some clear weather alternating with cloudy the fires are kept 
steady for the day. What advance is made is due entirely to 
sun heat; greater facilities are afforded for ventilation without 
lowering the temperature, and the essential of elaboration is 
secured in a most satisfactory manner. 
On bright and frosty mornings small and sharp fires 
should be the rule, so that by the time the sun makes itself 
felt in the houses the fires are so low as not to afford much 
heat, and excessive ventilation to prevent the temperature 
rising too high will be avoided. The fires on such occasions 
will be started sufficiently early in the afternoon that by the 
time the sun’s power is waning the heat given out by the 
pipes will prevent a hasty depression, yet aiding to keep up 
the temperature, a long day of work being effected, more in the 
way of elaboration and assimilation being accomplished on 
such day than in a week of dull weather when the whole of 
the conditions are artificial. The night temperature after 
such days will be kept steadily decreasing to its minimum; 
and if the night be very cold, as is usually the case after a 
bright day, the temperature may fall 5° lower than the 
ordered minimum, and instead of this disturbing the chief, 
his countenance will have the smile of satisfaction, more 
especially as the heat in the pipes in the morning shows an 
early rising of the temperature meeting that of the prospective 
sun heat, giving promise of another long day’s work in 
improving the texture and colour of tender foliage, which 
cannot be effected when deprived of the fruitful influence of 
the sun. — Gf. Abbey. 
REMARKS ON SOWING VEGETABLE SEEDS. 
(Continued from page 207 .) 
Brussels Sprouts and Early Broccoli. —It is hardly 
possible to err in sowing the former too early in the year, espe¬ 
cially when no heat is available. Unless the plants are finally 
planted out before the majority of the various sorts of Broccoli, 
Kales, and Savoys, they rarely grow to a good size or produce an 
abundance of close hard sprouts, and unless sprouts are very 
firm they do not possess that delicious marrow-like quality for 
which they are so much valued. The growers for market 
frequently sow the seed in the open as early in February as pos¬ 
sible, protecting the young seedlings during severe weather with 
straw litter, but I am afraid they will have had a difficulty with 
their seed beds this season. Kven when they are somewhat late 
in planting, their plants, owing to the firmness of ground and 
exposed positions, usually yield good gatherings, the only dif¬ 
ference being that the plants, perhaps, are 2 feet instead of 
3 feet in height, which makes a material difference in the value 
of the crops. Private growers can easily raise sufficient plants 
for their garden, as a pinch of seed may be sown either in pots, 
pans, boxes, or frames, little or no heat beyond he protection of 
a frame or house being necessary. The plants ought to be well 
exposed before they become drawn, and when fairly strong 
should be pricked out on a warm border about 4 inches apart 
