July 3. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
235 
question of expense alone—where fuel is at all difficult 
of access, as, whatever may be said of the effectiveness 
of that or this apparatus, and the wondrously small 
quantity of fuel it consumes to raise water to such and 
such a temperature, I am certain that the gentleman 
who thoroughly believes all this, will have some reason 
to shrug his shoulders at the expense for fuel alone, if 
he wishes for Cucumbers in January and Melons at the 
end of April. Where pipes and flues are used merely 
as auxiliaries it is quite a different affair. 
I understand our correspondent to refer to a flue to 
be heated by a furnace. If he means a dung-flue, it 
will be more proper, as already adverted to, to take it 
across the bed instead of along underneath it. Sup¬ 
posing that he contemplates a tire-flue, he will find it a 
useful auxiliary; and if so, a double course, a going 
and returning, so as to have the chimney at the same 
end as the furnace, would be preferable to going once 
through. For this purpose, I should prefer a small nine- ! 
inch flue, or even less, to an iron pipe, as the latter is so 
apt to be clogged soon with soot, to which it clings so | 
tenaciously, as before long to become impassable, uuless 
great care is taken. I would place that double flue, or 
single flue, in the centre of the pit; would build it on 
the bottom that now exists, or rather two or three inches 
above it; would then concrete the bottom of the pit with 
strong lime and sharp sand, that it might retain water 
moderately well when desirable. On each side of the flue, 
close to the side walls, but not at all touching the flue, 
I would place a layer of rough stones, &c. From nine 
inches to a foot above the flue 1 would have an open 
platform of boards, the spaces between filled with 
clinkers; on this platform the soil would be placed, or, 
if there was room, the soil would go on the top of a i'cot 
or more of tan. At the back and the front of this plat¬ 
form there would be box openings, rising higher than the 
soil, to be opened at pleasure, for allowing heat from the 
chamber into the atmosphere of the pit, and also for J 
pouring water down among the stones so as to produce , 
moist heat. A piece of sponge tied to the end of a stick, ! 
and rested on the concreted bottom, would always afford 
a pretty fair index as to the moisture in the chamber; 
and as long as there is moisture in the chamber the 
heat of the flue will raise and disperse it in the shape 
of vapour. Such a flue will be a great assistance in 
bad weather, or where the fermenting material could 
not be depended upon in sufficient quantity, and the 
construction of the pit would be such, that it need only 
be worked when there was absolute occasion. I have 
had such pits, long ago, under my charge, and with the 
exception of being a little more liable to accidents, and 
the lioat not so equally diffused, I consider them little 
inferior, if a great space is not to be heated, to such . 
pits heated top and bottom with pipes, as were described I 
in a previous volume. 
ECONOMISING SPACE. 
ing a pit to grow Melons in summer and autumn, and 
preserve my stock of bedding plants in winter. It will 
be heated by a flue, which will traverse by the back and 
front wall. As I have plenty of stable-dung, I think 
I can dispense with the flue in summer, by leaving a 
projection in the brick-work, a few inches above the flue, 
and on these projections resting slabs of wood for sus¬ 
taining the bed. When the crop was over, and the earth, 
&c., removed, I propose raising the slabs to other pro¬ 
jections, two feet from the glass, and on this platform 
standing the plants, and only use the flue to exclude frost 
and damp.” There is a portion in the previous auswer 
that will just suit your case. The principal ideas in your 
communication—the leaving projections in the brick¬ 
work, when building the wall, so as to admit of a plat¬ 
form being easily placed at different heights; and the 
having a flue running in the wall, instead of beside it, 
in certain circumstances,—I must of necessity approve, 
as both schemes have been recommended by me in this 
work. The leaving of a row of bricks projecting for an 
inch or so, is of great utility when the pit is to be used 
for different sized plants standing upon a platform; and 
these projections need never come in the way of anything. 
The only objection to the flue traversing the wall is the 
loss of heat that escapes on the outside. I mentioned, 
sometime ago, how that loss could be greatly obviated 
if the flue was shut in on the outside, leaving an open 
space against it, and a few openings from that space into 
the atmosphere of the house. The economy of the idea 
is enclosing the flue in the wall, which must of necessity 
be built, and thus escaping a separate flue building. For 
the purpose mentioned, the plan will answer very well. 
Where Melons were to be dependent solely on the heat 
of the flue, I would recommend the flues to be separate. 
I would also advise that the projections for the platform 
be at least six inches above the flue. This will leave 
room for heading the flue properly, and place the 
boards at a safe distance from the heating medium. 
When used for Melons, part of the space below the 
platform may be filled with sweet fermenting matter, if 
desirable. If the chamber is left open, strong linings 
will be necessary. The flue would be very useful in 
enabling the giving of more air to the Melons in dull, 
cold weather. It is especially well placed in the walls 
for dispersing damp in winter, as the walls above the 
flue can hardly remain damp. 
HOT-WATER DOES NOT DISPENSE WITH 
MANURE. 
“ For the sake of neatness and economy combiued, I 
did away with the dung linings, and had hot-water 
apparatus; and now, independently of a smart bill for 
forcing, and a contemplated one for artificial manures, 
or well-decomposed dung, without one of which I am 
told I may bid farewell to succulent vegetables, I am 
doubtful if these new improvements are all a clear 
gain. My gardener says there are no two sides to the 
question. 1 must again give him stable-dung, as before, 
to be decomposed as linings, or by other means, or 
manures must be brought to keep things goiug on right.” 
I am no fair judge on this question. Of course, I 
would naturally “ stick to my order.” There is nothing 
but sound sense in the gardener’s proposition. Hot- 
water is a fine thing, but the finest and strongest horse 
may be ridden over-much. I have known rejoicings over 
hot-water followed by woe begone complaining, that 
nothing could be got to give a fair start to Celery, and 
make it at once large, sweet, and crisp. And so with 
other matters. Heat how you like; be assured that 
the absence of manure dressings from the kitchen- 
garden will give you puny, hard, and stringy vegetables. 
R. Fish. 
Supply of Guano. —Consular despatches, communi¬ 
cated to the Board of Trade since the 1st of January 
1 last, respecting additional sources of the supply of guano 
were lately published. It hence appears that deposits of 
guano have been discovered in the islands composing 
: the canton of San Andres, in the province of Carthagena; 
' in the islands belonging to the Ecuador, off the coast of 
the province of Manabi; in an islet called “ Hergest’s 
Rocks,” situated near the island of Nukahiva, in the 
Marquesas group ; on the east end of the island of 
Guadaloupe; on St. Mark’s Island; in the proximity of 
the Bay of St. Bartholomew, on a small rock near the 
south-west end of the island of Natividad; and on Maria 
Island. It is also probable that considerable deposits 
of guano exist along that unfrequented portion of Peru, 
