THE COTTAGE GARDENEll. 
!)1 
NovEjnjER 0. 
good purpose, if you expected a fast climliing Eose, like this, 
to llower tlie season after planting. It will ]iot then bloom; 
and very little, if at all, the third season. These climbers 
have first to cover a large space, or make a full pillar—then 
they flower. If you wanted them to flower the first or 
second year, why not have hought worked plants of them ; 
PerpetueUcs, and such Hoses, have only to make n foot or two 
of wood and flower soon after; climbers have to grow a long, 
long way first. After that they are, of all other Hoses, the 
freest to bloom.] 
HEATING BY IIOT-WATEE. 
“The boiler is about twenty-one inches long and seventeen 
over. I had the boiler in tlie potting shed, and the potting 
shed was in a line with the house, and the pipes run in a 
straight direction from the boiler, with a rise of about one 
inch-and-a-half up to the connecting bo.x, which is about ! 
twenty-five feet from the boiler, and then a fall of half-an-inch ! 
up to the siphon end, which leaves a rise of about an inch 
up to the end, which is rather better than sixty feet. These 
were the instructions of the ironmonger; but the man that 
set it said the pipes ought to rise suddenly from the boiler. 
Two things I have to explain. First,is the connecting-box. lam 
afraid it is a detriment to the heating. This connecting-box 
acts as sup[)ly cistern, with stopcocks, plugs and air-pipe; and 
I have an air-pipe at the top part of the siphon end as well. 
The other is tlie small piece of pipe of one inch-and-a-half, 
near the boiler. This 1 put in when I altered it, and since 
I have done it I have learned, from The Cottage Gaudenek, 
that I should never have the smallest pipe in the return. 
Last winter, when I had the lire on the strongest, the fioiv- 
pipe over the one inch-and-a-half piece was very hot, ami 
the one inch-and-a-half nearly cold ; so that it is a plain 
proof that tlie water never circulated. You will readily say, 
that it was the small piece of pipe which prevented it from 
acting ; but I have had it in use for three winters, and have 
never had the pleasure of seeing the water circulate. When 
I ever got it to the highest power, the water would swell and 
rage over the connecting-box, and 1 have had it snap and 
bang like cannons, ready to drive us all out of the place; 
but it was a rare thing we could get it up to that powei'. I 
have looked into the connecting-box a great many times, hut 
never could see the water circulate—when the water got 
hotter than usual it began to swell—the reason why the 
water would not circulate was a mystery to me, and to every 
one that saw it. I have been thinking of jmlling it all down 
again ; but we ate so near the winter, which makes it veiy 
bad. I thought of rising the pipes a foot suddenly from 
the boiler; but the pipes are so near the plants that it will 
make it very awkward. Then, again, I thought of taking 
the one inch-and-a-half pipe out again ; but I have had so 
much difficulty with it, tliat I do not know what to do. 
It is but very little use as it is ; for last winter, when I had 
a fire in it enough to roast an ox, and so hot in the stoke¬ 
hole that it scorched my shoes, three feet from the fire, yet 
if I went inside the house, I found the plants all frozen 
down even over the pipes. I think this is enough to give 
anybody a sickener of hot-water. When it acts well, I 
believe it is the best mode of heating; but I had another 
house heated with a Hue, and when I went into it I always 
felt comfortable. I am a grower of plants and depend 
upon them for a livelihood. I have somd thousands of pots 
in my hot-water house, and having such trial as I had last 
winter makes me quite dread the winter coming again.— 
T. D.” 
[We hpe seen no plan but of the water-pipes and con¬ 
necting-cistern. From your description, we can see little 
that is wrong. Are you sure that your small pipe near the 
boiler has not got stopped or rusted up ? A little ISal Am- ' 
monia put in the water, now and then, would prevent the 
oxide ot iron forming so as to close tlie pipe. This rust, ' 
and a little sediment, or pieces of string, Ac., would soon i 
close up a oue-and-a-half-iuch pipe. We certainly always ; 
advocate the return-pipe being at least equal in size with ' 
the flow-pipe; but, before enlarging the one-and-a-half-inch 
pipe, we would apply a small force pump to it, so as ' 
thoroughly to clean it. By the plan, it would appear ' 
that you had sometliing like a length of twelve feet * 
two-inch pipe, connected with an equal length of inch 
pipe, and that terminating in a connecting-box, and from 
that box, a flow and return-pipe of four inches, with 
a semicircular end piece, extended so as to make a length 
altogether of sixty feet. We presume that the connecting- 
box is placed where it is, that you may heat the end nearest 
the boiler, without heating the end farthest from it. Now, j 
tlie rise of one-and-a-half inch to the connecting-box is all ! 
right, as proved by the water throwing itself out there when ; 
heated. From that jioint, an equal decline of one-nnd-a-half- 
inch should take place in the return-pipe to the bottom of 
the boiler; with such an arrangement, you Iiave no occasion 
for an air-piiie at the boiler. So far, your circulation ought 
to be perfect; but it will not be so quick, on account of your 
one and a-half-inch return-pipe; it would be better if it were 
two or three. In fact, the most simple mode would have 
been to have had all the jiipes uniform in size; but we have 
frequently worked boilers with small connecting-pipes to 
the boiler. Keeping this first part in viewq the boiling and 
groat foaming of the water, are no proof that your 
system is wrong, though it may show that your box, or cis¬ 
tern, is far too small to enable the water to expand itself 
without running over. This expansion will always be felt 
more in prcqiortion to the small size of'the return-pipe. 
Wo presume there is not so much of the great guns when 
the hot-water is allowed to get along to the farther end from 
the connecting box. Tho pipe to the closed semicircular 
end (which you term a syplion) should not fall in the 
least, ns you have allowed it to do. It should, if any¬ 
thing, be a little higher than where it joins the connecting- 
box, both the How and the return, and then the air-pipe in- : 
scried at the liighest point of the extreme end will ensure 
circulation. Wlien all is at work, you must not think there 
is no circulation when the small return-pipe next tho boiler I 
is very cool, in comparison of the upper one above it, as ; 
before it gets so near the boiler, tho water will be gradually 
parting with its heat daring a course of 120 feet. What we 
advise, then, is, first, force your return pipe, and then enlarge it 
if found necessary. Secondly, elevate the syphon end of your 
pipe an inch or two, and place the air-pipe there. Keep the 
water in the connecting-box as high, or a little higher than 
the rounded syphon end; and, thirdly', to avoid boilings over 
at a place so near the boiler, and give the lower pipes fair 
chance to work, place a large cistern of wood, zinc, or 
lead, round your connecting-box, large enough to hold two j 
or three gallons of water, so that there may be a connec¬ 
tion between the cistern and the connecting-box. We feel 
we could very soon make all right. Try these, and let ns 
know the result.—E. F.] 
ALSTEOMEEIAS IN WINTEE.—CAMASSIA ESCU- 
LENTA. —SOIL FOE EOSES. —SWEET BEIAE 
STOCKS. 
“ I have a few pots of Ahlromeria plunged in the open 
ground ; should I put them in a pit, with a slight bottom- 
heat for the winter? or are they hardy enough to remain as 
they are ? 
“ I had a fetv seeds given me, last year, of a plant called 
Camassia cscuicnta. Is it worth cultivating as an ornamental 
j plant ? and is it hardy, or tender ? 
“I am getting some choice Perpetual and Bourbon Bases, 
but am told that I shall not succeed in growing them well, as 
my soil is too light. Do Hoses require a heavy soil ? W’ill the 
Sweet Briar do for budding Hoses on, or is the wild Hose 
better ?—A New Subsckiber.” 
[The Alstromerias will most likely do, protected, in the 
open ground, with dry ashes over them. If ifiaced in a i 
cool pit, with glass over them, they would be safer. Do not 
give them bottom-heat. i 
The Camassia is a beautiful flowering bulb, allied to Scilla, | 
and quite hardy. Sow the seeds in a pan, under glass, and : 
plant out afterwards. | 
ITenty of dung, dug in, and applied ns top dressing, will 
cause your Boses to flourish, even in a light soil; but a little i 
clayey loam would be a good addition to the staple. If your ; 
plants are in pots, they had better remain protected in severe i 
