1868. ] 
HORTICULTURAL BOILERS. 
81 
(February), if not later. These heads were not housed until a few days 
before Christmas, so that they stood the severe frost we had at the 
beginning of December without sustaining much injury—the leaves protect 
them so well. For eight months in the year, that is from the middle of 
June, when they begin to come in, to the middle of February, the true 
Walcheren furnishes a supply of heads unequalled by any other Cauliflower 
in cultivation. 
Stour ton. M. Saul. 
HORTICULTURAL BOILERS, AND HEATING. 
OILERS and their merits have recently afforded topics for public 
discussion. Many gardeners adopt in preference one particular form 
of boiler, and manufacturers naturally praise their own productions. 
No doubt most boilers have some good points, but the makers often 
appear to forget that simplicity is one very important good quality. 
We have many sorts of boilers at work in this garden, and they are 
of various merit. In the kitchen garden, owing to the situation of the 
houses, it is not possible to set boilers low, and it is difficult to attach a 
number of houses to one boiler. In such cases, we find that small Conical 
boilers for separate houses, when well set, answer their purpose well, and they 
have also the advantage of simplicity, both as to setting and firing; they 
may be fed either from top or bottom, and if well attended, will burn any 
kind of fuel. They are, moreover, easily replaced by any common work¬ 
man, when worn out. 
Tubular boilers I will leave for others to advocate. I have no doubt 
they have many good points, but I have seen more failures with these than 
with any other sort. It may be all very well to be able to say “ We heat 
all our houses with one fire,” but it is not veiy pleasant to be informed 
some frosty morning that the boiler has burst—it may be with crops of 
early Vines and Peaches, and collections of Orchids and miscellaneous 
plants, all progressing favourably, and all at once left with nothing but a 
glass roof and cold pipes to resist 80° of frost. This, it may be said, is an 
improbable case, but I have known one parallel to it. It may be also urged 
that other boilers fail, and doubtless they do occasionally; but there are 
few, except the tubular ones, which cannot be patched-up for a few days 
until a new one can be got ready. 
We also hear of extraordinary boilers, in which the fire may be made 
up and require no attention for twenty-four hours, but if such boilers are 
in existence, they woifld be only of use in a very equable climate. They 
would be of little use here, in the north of Derbyshire, where in winter the 
outside temperature varies as much as from 80° to 40° in twelve hours, and 
sometimes as much as 10° in one hour. 
