M«rch 31,1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
247 
expanded with the snowy mantle above them. I am induced to mention 
these particulars from the fact that it is the only Viola I jxissess which 
has made any attempt in this direction, and coupling this with the fact 
that the plants are only cuttings of last summer, leads me to believe 
tluit it may prove a valuable variety for early spring betiding. I shall, 
however, watch its progress among the rest, and will give the result later 
on. 
If we, however, desire a genuine bit of golden colour in the dawn of 
spring, we have it supplied in the Great Pilewort (Ficaria grandiflora), a 
plant as yet far from common, and deserving extensive cultivation. In 
a sheltered position its lovely golden blossoms, which are fully 2 inches 
across, are now most cheering, and it is certainly a first-class plant. It 
is at home in a sunny moist position. It can, however, be grown on a 
warm and sunny border, but it attains to much greater size in the first 
named position. It may also be grown as a sub-aquatic ; indeed, if grown 
as such it is most conspicuous in the early months of the year. It was 
so grown some years ago at Tooting, and it is a rare occurrence to meet 
it in grander form than it was there. Thus grown the foliage attains 
almost the size of our native Marsh Marigold when found in a marshy 
piece of ground. Its flowers are bright golden, erect, about a foot high, 
anil borne in profusion for some considerable time, expanding best with 
sunshine. It is a native of southern Europe, and, in short, a most 
desirable spring plant. It is readily increased by seeds or by division 
when the plant is as rest, 
(Jhionodoxa Lucilite.—How truly this has been called the “ Glory of 
the Snow 1” The few days of warm sunshine before the snow enticed a 
few of its lovely blue and white flowers above ground. The cultural re¬ 
quirements of the plant are very simple indeed. It succeeds well in any 
light sandy loam well drained ; and planted at 3 inches deep and allowed 
to remain undisturbed, it soon forms a lovely carpet. Once planted it 
gives no trouble, and may be allowed to seed at will. When dormant a 
top-dressing of good soil and decayed manure in equal parts will greatly 
benefit the bulbs in the future. 
Bulbocodium vernum.—Regarding this plant at first sight, even the 
well-informed might be pardoned for mistaking it for a Colchicum but 
for the fact that these latter are strictly autumn bloomers. The Bulbo¬ 
codium pushes itself through the ground very early in the month of 
March, sometimes even earlier than this if the weather has been excep¬ 
tionally mild. In keeping with the genus Colchicum, it pushes through 
the surface leafless, and consequently is not so much looked for as the 
majority of plants which send forth leaves first and then flowers. It is 
quite distinct from all other spring bulbous plants in point of colour, 
this being of a bright rosy purple and very attractive. It grows only 
about 6 inches high—that is, the flower buds, the leaf growth assuming 
similar proportions to some of the Colchicums when the flowers are past, 
and is most charmingly adapted for associating with such things as 
Snowdrops, Winter Aconites, and the like. It is not often seen in good 
condition, and is yet a very old inhabitant of our garden, and it well de¬ 
serves encouragement. It is easily grown in any ordinary soil, and 
should be planted towards the end of summer, so that the bulbs may be¬ 
come fairly established. 
Saxifraga Burseriana.—This is another gem of early spring suited 
best for the rockery, or may be grown in pots. It is of diminutive 
growth, and is composed of numerous rosettes of spiny leaves of a 
silvery grey colour ; it flowers during February and March, and is one of 
the sweetest of all alpines, and certainly one of the most lovely of the 
extensive genus to which it belongs. The flowers are pure white when 
expanded, and of considerable size as compared with the plant gene¬ 
rally. Prior to expansion the buds are a bright red, the two forming a 
striking contrast. A lovely pan of this charming plant was exhibited 
at the last meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, and which came 
from the Society’s Gardens at CDiswick, and which clearly demonstrated 
what can be done with these gems of spring if a little attention be 
afforded them. It grows about 3 inches high, and may be increased by 
division and cutting.—J. H. E. 
WATERTIGHT ASHPITS. 
The preservation of fire bars by hot versus cold water was under 
discussion at first, and if there are any “ fogs floating about” they have 
been created by Mr. J. Riddell. From his own showing the bars are not 
preserved by the aid of water beneath them, but the contrary. This he 
demonstrated in his first article, and again on page 86. He appears 
most anxious that this discussion should close ; is it because “ Wilson’s 
Inorganic Chemistry ” fails to assist him much further in the theory he 
has advanced ? 
Before dissecting the last letter I will examine his vapour theory, 
and give him a chance, if he can, of demonstrating practically whether 
it really possesses ad vantages worth the labour, trouble, and first expense. 
It appears that this vapour theory has been partly if not wholly put 
into practice by Mr. Riddell, for his ashpits and boilers have been 
erected for the purpose. He could have closed this matter long since if 
he had shown us the advantages of his vapour method of heating in 
pounds, shillings, and pence. If the cost for a year with vapour, and 
the cost for a year without, as well as the external temperatures for the 
two years had been given, futher discussion would have been out of the 
question if there had been a good balance on the side of the vapour 
theory. 
It is well known that oxygen in relation to combustion is most 
important, and because vapour beneath [the furnace supplies a double 
quantity of this gas, the advocates would have us believe that the 
economy of fuel is great. The formation of such ideas are more imaginary 
than real, because combustion by the aid of vapour (steam) and atmo¬ 
spheric air are essentially the same ; they differ only in degree, and not in 
kind. By burning- fuel in atmospheric air, or by its aid, combustion 
would be slower, the light and heat less intense, but the same quantity 
of heat in both cases would be evolved. The fuel by the aid of vapour, 
or shall I say the extra supply of oxygen, would be burned more rapidly 
and produce a higher temperature than when burned by air alone, but 
in the end the results would be exactly the same ; for example, a given 
quantity of coal or coke with a given quantity of oxygen, say, in a pure 
state, would not heat more water or melt more iee than the same 
quantity of fuel burned by the aid of oxygen diluted the same as it 
occurs in the amosphere. Do we want in gardens a method of combus¬ 
tion that will burn the fuel rapidly without a greater quantity of heat 
as the result ? An extra quantity of oxygen applied in the form of 
steam might prove advantageous in raising the heat quickly in case of an 
emergency, but beyond that no advantage worth the bother would be 
obtained. We do not want the pipes in our houses made hot in a hurry 
except after a breakdown, or any unforeseen circumstance. We generally 
start the fire slowly, so that the temperature will be gradually raised, 
and by evening the desired temperature has been attained. All that is 
wanted after this is a steady fire to maintain the heat in our houses. 
There are exceptional cases during very severe weather, when the fires 
must be pushed on more briskly, when the vapour theory might prove 
beneficial, but these cases are the exception and not the rule. With 
sufficient boiler power and plenty of piping, when once the desired heat 
has been attained, it is only neces-ary to maintain it, and in most cases 
this can be done on slow combustion principles. On this principle only 
can an economy of fuel be effected, and not by any method that results 
in the rapid consumption of the fuel. This is what is achieved by 
supplying an extra quantity of oxygen above that contained in the 
atmosphere. Very frequently atmospheric air insures too rapid com¬ 
bustion, and we are compelled to largely check its entrance to the 
furnace, and in such cases why is vapour needed to add to the evil ? 
I see “ Albion ” differs from me, as he does not believe the same 
advantages he now enjoys would have resulted from the admission of 
more air to his furnace. Of course, he gives the whole credit to the 
application of water beneath the fire bars. He first took a step in the 
right direction when he used coke and anthracite together for fuel. 
This kept the fire open, and allowed free entrance to the supply of 
oxygen necessary for combustion. This he has obtained by vapour and 
the atmospheric air admitted. The same results would have followed 
the admission of more air. His fire will be slightly brighter by his 
present method, and the fuel may be consumed more rapidly, but the 
heat evolved under both circumstances would have been the same. If 
“ Albion ” doubts this he can turn to Mr. Riddell’s favourite author 
(“ Wilson’s Inorganic Chemistry,” page 173, art. 451), and he will there 
see it explained. 
Mr. Riddell has tried somewhat to anticipate me, for I have nowhere 
said that red-hot iron does not decompose water. I was careful, on 
page 46, to say heated piece of metal, not red-hot. As it appears to be 
necessary to have iron red-hot before it decomposes water, it would be 
indeed hair-splitting to try and define the quantity of water decomposed 
by the bars beneath our furnace. Iron does not possess this power at 
ordinary temperatures. What are we to understand by “ordinary tem¬ 
peratures ? ” The fire bars are very frequently at what I should term 
“ ordinary ” temperatures, for I have never yet seen them anything 
approaching “ red-hot.” This condition may be approached near the top 
on which the heated fuel lies, but no great distance down the bar. If 
thin bars are used, and they are kept perfectly clean, they will never 
approach a red-hot condition. 
Mr. Burton’s professed object is one of progress, and yet he withholds 
the information asked for that would have placed us in a position to 
judge the test to which his fire bars have been exposed. This informa¬ 
tion might have strengthened or weakened his position. If the former 
I should have been inclined to believe that the vapour did assist in the 
preservation of the bars, and that the very small amount of oxidation 
to which they were subjected would only have been of secondary im¬ 
portance. I am certain that the bars would be a very long time rusting 
away to be rendered useless by vapour beneath them. Under the cir¬ 
cumstances, then, I can only conclude that Mr. Burton’s position would 
have been weakened by supplying the information sought. 
Nearly all the points raised by Mr. Simpson on page 108 have been 
previously discussed, and before he can properly judge my portion in 
this matter it is necessary to see the previous articles that have been 
written on both sides. The advocates of watertight ashpits for the pre¬ 
servation of the bars have not advanced any very strong proof of the 
advantages that result by their method. If the heat in furnaces for the 
manufacture of gas is much more intense than is the case in our furnaces, 
which I do not dispute, this only weakens instead of strengthening their 
case, for it shows that there is the less need for practising any such 
system. Mr. Simpson prefers thick bars ; I shall in future only employ 
thin o/ies for reasons previously stated. The beat system 1 have yet 
seen connected with a steam boiler going day and night is a process that 
keeps the bars constantly moving, by which the clinkers are passed to 
the end of the fire and deposited in a box, and then by opeuiug a door 
that divides the clinker box from the ashpit they can be raked out with 
the ashes. The bars in use are considerably lighter than those I gave 
in a previous article. With thin bars, a clean ashpit, and the bars kept 
perfectly froe from clinkers, I do not think we should have to complain 
about their lasting properties. 
