July. 31. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
309 
often desirable to have one end of a bouse higher in 
temperature than the other end. For a single, moderate¬ 
sized house, I would, so far as efficiency and economy 
are concerned, just a3 soon have a good-built, small 
Hue, as any new-fangled system whatever. There will 
he nothing more congenial for its heat from an iron- j 
pipe, or an iron or slate tank. 
Many amateurs and beginners imagine that some 
genial virtues escape from iron-pipes heated by water 
within them, and that still more wondrous virtues escape 
somehow from a close tank, it is all a mere make 
believe. The heat that escapes from iron-pipes and 
close tanks is just as dry and parching as that which 
comes from a Hue, though minus the liability to discharge j 
noxious gases. In such cases, a genial, moist, growing 
atmosphere must be maintained by evaporating-pans 
placed on the heating medium, and by keeping the lloor 
of the house moist, and by frequent syringings. 
To remedy this inconvenience, we have had tanks 
more or less open, so that a constant vapour rose from 
the water, when heated, which gave an atmosphere well 
fitted for plants in a growing state, and for such plants 
generally, as the Cucumber, as did not ripen their fruit, 
though even in their case the moisture was too much 
in dull weather ; but for flowering-plants, and plants to 
produce ripe fruit, it was found necessary to shut these 
openings very considerably as the time of flowering 
and ripening approached. On the whole, after some 
experience and considerable observation, I adhere to 
the ideas expressed in some recent articles on “ Pipes 
versus Tanks,” and would care very little which I had, 
making it chiefly a question of economy, and preferring, 
in the case of tanks, whether for top or bottom-heat, I 
that they should be generally close, with power to open 
slides at pleasure to let out vapour. In the case of 
pipes, either for bottom or top-heat, it is always easy 
enough to supply moisture in proportion to the heat. 
As to the materials of tanks, provided they are sound 
aud free from leakage, and present a sufficiency of 
heating surface, it matters not whether they be com¬ 
posed of brick and cement, of slate, of iron, or even of 
wood covered with slate, if of wood, the corners should 
be well beat before fixing them together, much in the 
way that brewer’s coolers are made. Of course, if of 
wood, the covering must be a conducting surface, such 
as slate or iron. Near the end of the second volume is 
a section aud description of a most useful and econo¬ 
mical house so heated with a wooden tank; and I was 
informed, the other day, that it was as sound aud good 
as ever. Even the unpainted sides of the pit were per¬ 
fectly fresh. If such boards had been painted they 
would have wanted frequent renewals. One other thing 
may be mentioned, in forming tanks, namely, that a 
greater depth than from four to six inches is just so 
much labour and material thrown away. Four inches 
is quite sufficient for anything. A greater depth is not 
only longer in getting heated, but the lower portion of 
water is scarcely heated at all, unless huge fires and a 
rapid circulation are used aud effected. Now to the 
particulars of this correspondent. 
I recollect something of the facts of this small pit, j 
some eight feet square, heated ineffectually by two small 
2-inch pipes. It was mentioned, that for early Cu- j 
cumbers, two pipes of such a size would not be sufficient; ! 
and that four or six would be necessary. To cut in 
May or June, I should consider four, at least, to be 
necessary, if no other assistance in heating was given. 
It was also mentioned that 2-inch pipes were not 
desirable for heating, as presenting so much resisting 
surface. This, however, for such a small place, need 
be no valid objection. The question is, would it not 
be better to increase the number or the size of the pipes, 
instead of going to the expense of a tank? This is for 
the person concerned to determine. For myself, I would 
be regulated greatly by the economy of the affair, and 
that would depend much on the nearness and come- 
at-ability of materials. There are several things besides 
that are here worth noting. “ The pipes gradually drop 
all around the pit, from the flow to the return-pipe into 
the boiler, which is above two feet drop.” “ The flow- 
pipe is above the bottom of the pit, and has to drop 
from the house into it.” “ Must the tank be level, or 
drop as the pipes?” Much may be got over by those 
thoroughly conversant with heating and the properties 
of water as a fluid. In all cases, but especially among 
beginners, it will be well to keep the following pro¬ 
positions in mind. 
1. Whatever the height of the flow-pipe above the 
boiler, the return-pipes should not descend lower than 
the top of the boiler until it enters the bottom. 
2. Keeping this in mind, where there are various 
structures to be heated from one boiler, and the pipes in 
these, whether for top or bottom heat, are on different 
levels, it is best to bring the main flow-pipe from the 
boiler into an open cistern, from one to two feet in 
height, above the highest pipe to be worked, and from 
that cistern to take as many pipes as you have divisions 
to work, and if bottom and top-heat is wanted separately, 
that must be secured by two flow-pipes, one for top, and 
one for bottom, from the cistern, and to be worked in¬ 
dependently of each other, just as wanted, by means of 
plugs suiting the various holes which receive the pipes. 
Sometimes there is a more rapid flow into some than 
others ; but a little management with the plugs will 
soon make that all right. As already stated, it matters 
not whether the pipes are level, or some of them as for 
bottom-heat, three or four feet below those intended for 
top-heat, provided the lowest part of the lowest pipe is 
higher than the boiler; and such a position of the 
cistern gives so much of a column of gravity. 
3 It is generally advisable that the flow'-pipe should 
rise a little from the boiler to the furthest extremity, say 
an inch or so, in twenty feet, and there have an open 
cistern, or an open air-pipe, higher than the supply- 
cistern for the boiler, and from that point the return- 
pipe should just as gradually descend to the boiler. 
It strikes mo that, independently of the two small 
pipes, even they may not get justice. We are not told 
how far the flow extends, or where the supply cistern for 
the boiler is placed. If, after being taken the round of a 
house, the pipe merely drops two feet gradually into and 
around the pit, I can well imagine that the circulation 
would be languid, and that when not used, air might 
effect a lodgment, just because a heated fluid would 
sooner rise than sink down; unless, upon something of 
the plan mentioned, the principle of gravity was brought 
in to its assistance with the open cistern, and beating 
each place separately, there would be no difficulty. I 
will mention two circumstances that will, perhaps, throw 
a little light on the matter. I was called in to see the 
heating of a house that would not work. The bouse 
was in the shape of a parallelogram. The flow-pipe 
rose from the top of the boiler about three feet; aud 
then, from that elevation, one pipe went round the 
house, sinking gradually until it entered the boiler; 
near the lowest part the supply-cistern was placed, 
but sufficiently high to be higher than the highest part 
of the flow-pipe. On the principle that water will 
always stand at its level, it was argued, that so long as 
the water in this cistern, though fastened to the lowest 
part of the pipe, stood higher than the highest point of 
the flow-pipe, the pipes and the boiler could not help 
themselves; they must always be full, and circulation 
take place as a matter of course when heat was applied. 
If no intervening agency had interfered with this good 
theory all would have been as right as a trivet. 
Science is a fine thing, but there are two sides to a 
question. Whatever the expectations, circulate the 
