122 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 27, 1860. 
it be advisable to put these in a vinery as soon as started without 
potting for a while, or should I pot them first ?—A Subscriber. 
[We would, in April or May, do with the Orange trees exactly 
as you; propose, and use a calico tent for them; clean, stout, 
hexagou, Nottingham netting, or tiffany, or frigi domo would do. 
Treat the Camellias the same, or earlier if the Vines are forced. 
No good will be done whilst the roots are in poor, sour soil.] 
FORCING FRUITS AND CUCUMBERS 
TOGETHER-TANK HEATING. 
I AM now building two fruit and plant-houses. The aspect 
is due south ; the back wall is 10 feet high ; the roof is formed 
with fixed rafters about 14 feet long in front, with a short span- 
roof about 5 feet 3 inches wide at the back with sliding sashes. 
The ventilation is provided for by these sliding sashes, and by 
ventilating shutters in front, each 5 feet long and 1 foot wide. 
The heating I propose to effect by a furnace and flue running 
round the house; and I wish, if possible, to place a small boiler 
over the furnace to supply a wooden tank 17 feet long by 4 feet 
wide,, to be used for propagating and forcing, and also for 
growing Cucumbers. In the house nearest the furnace I propose 
to grow six Vines, planted six feet apart (which I conclude will 
not shade the house too much). Against the back wall I wish 
to grow Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, andEigs (throughout the 
whole length), and on the border between the tank and path I 
should grow fruit trees in pots, or planted in the border, and a 
few Camellias, Azaleas, and other flowering plants. 
In the cold fruit-house next the above I am not thinking of 
growing 1 ines, but my idea is to grow Peaches, Apricots, and 
IN ectarines on trelhses, and I should be glad to have suggestions 
as to how this should be effected without shading the back wall 
too much, and also as to the number of trees required to fill up 
the space viz., 35 feet by 11 feet (up to the path). 
I should be glad of information and advice on the following 
points:— ° 
1 . I have a brewing cooler 12 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 
7 inches deep, which I propose to have lengthened to 17 feet, 
and then to use it for a tank. It is quite water-tight, and sound' 
made of the best deal. Will it be suitable for the purpose ? if 
so, must it be lined with lead ? 
2 . Will you recommend me a small boiler to heat this tank ? 
It may as well be sufficiently large to heat a longer tank if re¬ 
quired. 
3. I want a list of six good Vines, also of a good variety of 
Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, and Figs, for back wall, trellis 
pots, and border, for the heated and cold house. 
I have omitted to mention that the front wall is built on 
arches, that the glass is 21 ozs., the size 20 inches by 12 inches, 
t.ie rafter 5J- inches by li inch. The roof is supported by iron 
ties, with uprights of 1| gas pipe paid under purlines. The 
stoke-hole is to be used for growing Mushrooms, Sea-kale, 
Rhubarb, &c.—G. W. H. 
[We regret to throw the least cold water on your plan, but 
we must give you the same answer as we gave some weeks’ ao- 0 
to another correspondent—to the effect that we should only be 
leading you astray if we held out the hope that you could grow 
Cucumbers and Apricots in the same place. You will only do 
with Vines and Cucumbers, either on the principle that you in¬ 
troduce your Cucumbers after the Vines are broken, or have 
means, as lately detailed, for taking these Vines outside when the 
wood was ripened. The first thing we would advise you to do 
would be to divide your heated or forcing-house by a partition 
of wood and glass, making each I7i feet long. We presume 
your tank is to. be over the flue, but free from it. From the 
division you will thus have a warmer and a colder house_in 
tact, you can keep the latter back by giving more air, though the 
same flue goes through both houses. In the first house we 
would plant as Vines, the Dutch Sweetwater, for earliness, and 
two Black Hamburglis, or one Black and one Golden Hamburgh. 
Cn the back wall, it we did not also have Vines, we would prefer 
.ace Fjg trees, one of White Marseilles and two of the Brown 
lurkev. The centre floor of the house to be devoted chiefly to 
oremg flowering plants, or a few Peaches in pots, brought after 
iey were set from the late house. In the second house we 
would recommend one Muscat of Alexandria, one of West’s St 
Peter, and one of Hamburgh Muscat Vines. The back wall of 
this we would cover with two trees, one of Noblesse or Roval 
George Peach, and one of Elruge Nectarine. The floor to be filled 
with four or five trees in pots. The front of the house we would 
plant with four trees and low trellis, such as Barrington and 
Walburton Admirable Peach, and Violette Hative and Pit- 
maston Orange, or Rivers’ Orange Nectarine. The back w T all 
we would devote to Apricots, and would use chiefly the Moor 
Park, giving them abundance of air. If the top of the front 
trellis is 4 feet in height and 3) feet from the back wall, 
this wall will bear right to the bottom. Now as to the 
questions—1. The cooler will answer admirably for the tank, 
only it will be too deep, but you may let only 3 inches of water 
or so in the bottom, and cover with slate. If the slates were put 
on at that depth, or four inches, the sides of the cooler would do 
for an edge for the propagating-bed. There is no necessity for 
lining with lead, if water is kept always in it; there will be no 
danger of leaking if the sides are well joined. 2. A small 
Thompson’s retort boiler, or a small conical one, will suit your 
purpose. Two small inch-pipes will do for going to the tank. 
3. Answered before. There will bo no difficulty with the boiler 
in any case, but the action will be better if the top of the boiler, 
however placed, is a foot or so, at least, below the bottom of the 
tank.] 
EARTHENWARE PIPES FOR HEATING WITH 
HOT WATER. 
In compliance with your request for further particulars re¬ 
specting the glazed earthenware pipes for hot water, I shall begin 
with the boiler. This is a truly “ knotty point,” scarcely any 
two professional gardeners agreeing as to which is the best. 
Neither shall I venture at present to pass an opinion on any 
particular boiler ; very much depends on the setting—a great 
deal more than is generally supposed. The great point to be 
aimed at is the largest heating surface, with the consumption of 
the smallest quantity of fuel, and that no heat gets away without 
being made serviceable. A boiler that requires too much at¬ 
tention in firing is a nuisance to an amateur. I have three 
different boilers, and unless I am forcing hard they will do with 
firing once in eight to ten hours. They have been twelve to 
fourteen hours without being looked to, and the fires were then 
not out. 
I burn, coke, which I consider far preferable to coal; it is 
cleaner, gives a greater heat, and will burn very much longer 
than coal. 
Again : The prices charged for boilers are too high, and with 
the setting make rather a formidable amount to start with— 
quite enough to deter many amateurs from even thinking of a 
hot-water apparatus. I am having a simple boiler constructed 
to meet this point—one that will be very compact, will require 
little setting, only just sufficient to keep it steady, and will be of 
only a moderate price. As soon as I have tested it I will let you 
know the result. 
Now, to proceed to a few particulars. Having obtained your 
boiler either already fixed, or, if a new one, partly fixed, proceed 
to put on any bends, elbows, T-piec-es, and tops, all iron, that 
are required first next to the boiler ; packing the joints first with 
two strands of spun yarn plaited together and steeped in red 
lead and oil, well caulked in, afterwards filling up with Scotch 
cement, and about one-third iron filings well kneaded together 
to the consistency ot tongli dough with boiled linseed oil. This 
must also be well caulked in ; caulking in two strands of spun 
yarn as before on the top to keep all firm. If these joints are 
well made they will be as firm as the pipes. I prefer joints made 
this way to those made with iron filings and sal ammoniac. The 
former can be chipped out if any ^alteration is required ; the 
latter cannot. 
The iron piping that is attached to the boiler must be finished 
off with an iron socket, in which the spigot end of the first 
earthenware pipe is to be inserted, both flow and return. The 
reason for this peculiarity is, that iron will expand and contract 
more than the earthenware piping. So that by inserting the 
earthenware piping in the iron socket to start with, the earthen¬ 
ware. piping is not affected by the extra expansion and con¬ 
traction. 
Then proceed to lay the earthenware piping, packing the joints 
(this is the important point) for the first half with the Scotch 
cement, the same as used for the iron piping, pushed infirmly and 
evenly with a piece of hard wood, so that it will be watertight, 
and the remaining half of the socket filled up with Portland 
Cement made to the consistency of putty, and put in firm and 
