362 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 2, 1889. 
ramble either way. In addition to these I grow about 100 in pots, 
and I have been curious enough to note the number of blooms I have 
cut each year since 1880. In 1881 I cut 2115, from February to 
November ; and in 1882, from February 20th to November 2Gth, 3203 ; 
in 1883, from February 17rh to November 20th, 328G ; in 1881, 3451 ; 
and in 1885 I cut the first bloom January Gth, and the last December 
24th, making in all for the year 3684 ; in 1886, 3030 ; in 1887, 2945 ; this 
year I have cut 2850. I have had a falling off this last two years, 
which is owing to a very large plant cankering ; but I have had a 
supply of Roses over nine months out of the twelve, always fresh, and 
clean from smoke and smuts. 
Now, I would add that after the most careful management and 
skilful cultivation our efforts are not always crowned with success, so 
that if we have a failure now and then, which has sometimes been the 
case with me, we shall do well to remember the old proverb, and try 
again. 
HOT-WATER PIPES LEAKING. 
The first letter by “ S. H.,” and his method of repaiiing leaks, and the 
break on the mains at the back of a pottingshed seem very familiar to me. 
But I may not recognise in your correspondent the person to whom my 
thoughts aie directed. Be this as it may, if the discussion catches the eye 
of the person that I credit “ S. H.” with being, for I know he is a reader 
of the Journal, and has contributed to its pages, he could tell your 
readers the lesson he learnt in breaking mains and repairing them 
Some years ago. I daresay he does not now regret the little episode 
that occurred, and which may have proved useful to him since. When 
I gave “ S. H.” credit for yoking the “ cart before the horse,” my 
thoughts were mainly directed to pipes that were cut practically in two. 
I did not think of the leak being through a crack lengthways of the 
pipe. Breaks of this description are few in comparison with those 
across the pipe. Thimbles nearly always burst in this manner when 
the iron used for packing has been destroyed by che use of too much 
sal-ammoniac. When these crack by this cause, and the pipes are 
heated, they always open and allow a greater quantity of water to 
escape than is the case when the pipes are cool. This is really caused 
by the expansion of the pipes within. I have had two or three breaks 
across pipes recently, and in each instance no escape of water took 
place when the pipes were heated. 
We had a joint burst only the other day since “ S. IT.” wrote his 
last letter, and the crack was neither across the pipe nor lengthways, 
and yet partly both. A large stream of water poured out when the 
pipes were cool, but when heated very little indeed escaped. If the 
linear expansion of the pipe only took place when heated, then I 
should say without hesitation that S. H.” was perfectly right when 
the crack was lengthways of the pipe, but as the pipe increases in 
circumference as well as length when heated, the portions that are 
apart slightly when cool are pressed when heated closely together, and 
prevent entirely or largely the escape of water. Is it possible that the 
leaks have been in such a position that the water when cool and 
stationary in the pipe would not escape to the same extent as when the 
water was hot and driven out by the force employed behind. The 
pipes when cracked on the surface may be in such a position that the 
water when cool would not rush out of them, for many minutes at any 
rate, while it would rush out freely enough, in spite of the expansion 
of the metal which might not be sufficient to fill up the slit, when force 
was applied. I fancy “ S. H.” would have managed to have repaired 
the broken pipe, if it could have been got at, as detailed by Mr. Munks, 
without pulling out the fire, and would have gone on firing in the usual 
way. It may not be known that the method given by S. H.” and 
myself, which differs very slightly, will last in good condition for 
possibly a dozen years if the pipe repaired is in a dry position, so that 
the canvas and cord employed is not decayed by moisture from without. 
My reference to thimbles applies with equal force to the split sockets 
mentioned by Mr. Young. 
My remarks were entirely directed to sectional cracks, and “ B. L.” 
bears out fully that I am right. I do not remember in twenty years’ 
experience one longitudinal crack except in sockets and thimbles. The 
bursting of these is due in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred to 
the use of too much sal-ammoniac in the borings. Unless greater care 
is taken in the mixing of these ingredients the iron joint will have to 
give place to some other material. The most important part of the 
whole work in fitting the joints of pipes is often consigned to a boy, 
who may not have been at the work for many weeks, or at the most 
months. 
I had not overlooked in this matter the expansion of the water, but 
facts are stubborn things, which are, and can only be, arrived at by 
carefully noting effects. I have always been under the impression that 
the cause produced the effect, and yet “ B. L.” asserts that the effects 
in this case are secondary causes.—W m. Bardney. 
It is quite amusing to see how doctors differ on the question of hot- 
water pipes leaking. Is it not possible that all are right, but failing to 
trace cause and effect 1 I do not pretend to settle the question,"but 
suggest that under certain circumstances water will escape when the 
pipes are cool, as it will do in other cases when they are hot. I know 
that new steam boilers will leak when cold, but are steam and water 
tight when heated 1 
There are some important matters to be taken into consideration before 
a satisfactory answer can be given. Cast metal pipes vary greatly in 
quality, some having a considerable and varying quantity of metal 
other than iron in their composition, and are of unequal thickness. 
This affects their expansion and contraction, as well as their power of 
conduction, which is an important factor in pipes cracking. Again, hat 
pipes placed close to conducting material, which leads the heat from 
one part greater than another, will cause pipes to crack. 
It is quite in accordance with our knowledge of expansion and con¬ 
traction to suppose that a hole or crack in a pipe will expand or con¬ 
tract as the pipe is heated or cooled. The same may be said where it is 
a crack only, but this will depend greatly upon whether the extreme 
ends are free or confined. If free the crack, if transverse, would pro¬ 
bably widen, whereas if confined it would close. Then there is another 
important matter. When a pipe cracks either lengthways or crossways, 
it makes an effort to fly from the centre by the disarranging of its 
particles, the extent depending upon its composition and heat, thereby 
forming a lip and a wide gap, which on cooling sometimes returns to its 
first position, but not always. If a pipe becomes unevenly heated, either 
from its position, exposure to cold air, or its unequal thickness, it will 
crack evenly or bulge ; if the former, and the extremities are confined, 
the leak may be worse when cold, but if the latter the opposite would 
be the case, so that leaking depends greatly upon the form of the frac¬ 
ture and arrangement of the pipes.—W. T. 
EPIPHYLLUM MAKOYANCJM. 
A FIRST-CLASS certificate was recently awarded by the Floral Com¬ 
mittee of the lloyal Horticultural Society for a plant of this new 
Epiphyllum, shown by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons of Chelsea. A flower 
FIG. 58.— EPIPHYLLUM MAKOYAXUM. 
is represented in fig. 58 of its natural size, and fuller particulars respect¬ 
ing the plant will be found in the artic e on hybrid Cactuses (page 349) 
of this issue. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
Report of Observations on Injurious Insects awl Common Farm rests 
During the Year 1SSS, with Methods of Prevention and, Remedy. 
By Miss E. A. Ormerod, F.R.M.S., &c. London : Simpkin, Marshall 
and Co. 
This report, the twelfth for which Miss Ormerod is responsible, 
testifies to her perseverance and accuracy, and, being assisted by 
observers scattered throughout our island, she is able to give valuable 
particulars regarding insect attacks, and the best way of resisting, os, 
what is still better, preventing these. That is, indeed, the point to be 
chiefly aimed at by the horticulturist, because in too many cases it 
happens that when the insects have been allowed to work their will 
they may be killed, but the mischief is done. Our conclusion in refer¬ 
ence to 1888 agrees with that of this report. It was not a notable year 
for destructive insects, though certain species caused much trouble and 
loss in some districts. The close connection between the states of the 
weather and the increase or development of insect life, appears in the 
fact to which Miss Ormerod draws attention, that the splendid summer 
of 1887 was so much in favour of insects that there was a probability of 
an abundance of them in 1888. Their numbers last year, however, were 
greatly diminished by the cold damp weather which characterised our 
summer after June ; and, if we may predict for this year, we should say 
that the weather of last winter was, on the whole, such as would 
prevent the emergence of many of the spring insects. A satisfactory 
