304 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 14, 1860. 
shreds, &c., should be well dressed aud sorted in winter; matting 
or other materials sorted into lengths and characters according 
to the purposes for which they are intended. R. Errington. 
DEFECTS IN HEATING BY HOT WATER— 
ZINC PIPES. 
T find myself in an awkward fix ; and like Napoleon to Eng¬ 
land in his Italian difficulty, I cry to you come and help me out. 
Mine, however, is not quite an “ ideaand, therefore, I feel 
some degree of confidence that you will be able to lend me a 
hand, or, as we dwell so wide apart, perhaps I should rather say 
an “ idea,” which will clear away all my difficulties. Now, to 
the point. About a month or so ago I had a cold pit built, and 
as we are exposed to frequent rains, I employed our Jack-of-all- 
trades, who, in his mild way, is a kind of Weeks—and something 
more, perhaps, he would say, since he can make a kettle which, 
I presume, would “fix ” the Chelsea worthy. Well, as I said, I 
directed him to put some two-inch zinc (the name of this metal 
makes the money in my pocket rattle) pipes into it, and connect 
them with the boiler which warms an adjoining greenhouse. He 
did so, and the result is, that I cannot get the pipes in the pit to 
warm at all; and they, like the dog in the manger, do their best 1 
to prevent the other pipes in the greenhouse from doing their i 
duty, as of yore. Now, to describe as well as I can, the pipes, ! 
&c., in order that you may be enabled to detect the error (for I 
suppose there is one somewhere). The pipes are connected with 
the commonest form of boiler. The pipes from the pit (one-inch 
pipes) are screwed into the iron plate which covers the boiler, 
and the return-pipe is immersed about six inches, but the flow- 
pipe is only screwed into the plate, and does not penetrate 
deeper. Those which warm the greenhouse are of two inches 
diameter, and rise somewhat above their neighbours. Whether 
they are both immersed or not I cannot say, as I was from homo 
when the apparatus was put together. The steam-pipe of the 
pit is at the back, fastened to the wall against which the pit is 
built. I could not conveniently have it elsewhere. Now, pray 
tell me what is'wrong. 
Before concluding this, allow me to give a word of warning 
on the use of zinc as a cheap (?) substitute for lead. Last Feb¬ 
ruary I put violent hands on a picture-case belonging to my wife, 
and which had contained the beloved portrait of her uncle, and 
had it lined with zinc, and converted into a tank. It answered 
very well for a time, but finding the house always full of steam 
latterly, I determined to have some pipes connected with the 
tank to dry off this moisture ; and on opening it to do so, my 
Weeks discovered that the zinc was completely eaten into holes, 
and all would crumble between the thumb and finger. My 
economy, of course, resulting in my being obliged to have a new 
tank, and this time lined with lead. The idea of zinc I took 
from the Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary , under the head of 
“ Rendle’s Tank System.” Unfortunately these pipes in the pit 
were in their place, or I should have had iron. However, the 
warning, I trust, will save some other person’s pocket. Verlum 
sat sapienti. —A Subscriber. 
[We should like to have known the size of your greenhouse, 
and the size of your pit, and dimensions of your kettle. Perhaps 
we may guess at the cause. First: The boiler may be too small 
to heat both places effectually. Second: Have you a supply- 
cistern higher than the top of the boiler, and highest point of 
the pipes? Third: It would be better if the return-pipes went 
nearer the bottom of the boiler. With the supply-cistern as 
hinted above, the boiler and all the pipes must be always full; 
but when both pipes are so close to the top of the boiler, the 
heated water will enter into both, and each will form in itself a 
flow and return, and this will not be well done in such small 
pipes as two-inch. In a small boiler the difference of six inches 
in depth will not prevent the above effect, as the water for that 
depth will be nearly of the same temperature. Fourth: If there 
were merely surface of boiler sufficient for the greenhouse before, 
the addition of more water would give the boiler more to do. 
Have you an air-pipe or an open supply-cistern in the greenhouse ? 
Fifth : If the position of the pipes as given be correct, rising 
abruptly from the boiler, and then declining considerably, as they 
go into the houses, we should not be surprised if the heat did not 
pass these high points easily, unless you had a small air-pipe 
there. Where there is no open cistern in these cases, our practice 
leads us to the conclusion that the flow-pipes should rise gently 
and regularly to the extremity, and not rise first and then fall. 
Sixth : We are doubtful whether the figure on the left side re¬ 
presents a section of the pit, or the return heating-pipe,—if the 
latter, the whole difficulty is explained,—as such pipe descends 
so much below the boiler and fireplace. Under no circumstances 
do we like to have pipes below the boiler. It requires great 
trouble, and many little matters to get them to act. In your 
case we should expect to get no circulation. From these you 
may find the cause of failure; and, if not, if you describe more 
minutely, or give us a plan of the pipes, as respects height, &c., 
we will do what we can to oblige you; but we suspect that some 
of these will meet your case. We do not approve, in general, of 
two-inch pipes. If the top of your boiler is at all exposed to 
the fire, then it would have been necessary to have had a yard or 
four feet, at least, of iron pipe, as zinc will not stand fire heat. 
We would also disapprove of zinc in a pit where the pipes were 
to be covered with earth, or to rest even upon earth; but if they 
stand clear off walls and soil, and are supported on wooden 
brackets, both zinc pipes and galvanised iron will last a long 
while, if the water is not particular in possessing a salt or acid 
that acts quickly on zinc. We have known cisterns last a long 
time, and we have known others quickly eaten through just as 
you describe. It is well known that even lead pipes soon decay 
in some clay soils, if not well surrounded with ashes or charcoal 
dust. We feel, however, much obliged for the result of your 
experience, as we by no means think that first cheapness is iden¬ 
tical with real economy. Iron pipes, in the long run, are, no 
doubt, best; but in small greenhouses we would not hesitate to 
use either galvanised iron or zinc, or even tin. We should like 
to hear how you and your coadjutor master your difficulties.] 
TREATMENT OF CAMELLIAS AFTER 
BLOOMING. 
“ A Constant Subscriber ” has twenty-four Camellias, not 
very large plants, about six or eight years old, and very good 
kinds. They are very backward this season—only two have 
bloomed, and the others appear as though they would not do so 
for two months, and not many buds on them. The conservatory 
iu which they are placed has a north-east aspect. Would it be 
well to wait until they have all done blooming, to remove them 
to a close, warm temperature in the pit ? In this case I suppose 
they would be late again next year, and I like to have them in 
bloom in December and January; or would it be advisable to 
sacrifice the flowers of some for this season, and put them sooner 
into the pit where they might have a little heat ? They had none 
last year, being only kept in the cool greenhouse until they had 
done flowering, and were then placed under a north wall until 
housed for the winter.—E. H. 
[Your plants being kept in a house with a north-east aspect, 
and then placed on the north side of a wall, had not excitement 
enough to make wood and ripen the buds. If you could place 
them in the pit by March, it will be soon enough. Syringe 
freely, keep rather close, and when the buds begin to set at the 
points of the shoots, give more air and full exposure to light, and 
you may have bloom from December and onwards.] 
COYERING A WALL WITH IVY. 
In replying to a correspondent, “ J. F. C.,” in your No. 591 
on the subject of Ivy to cover brickwork, many useful hints are 
given to those few persons who are willing to devote great pains and 
time in perfecting the work. I would merely add a suggestion 
as to my own practice upon a wall, sixty to seventy yards long, 
which I covered completely about seventeen years ago, and which 
always looks tidy and well, though I cannot say I devote much 
labour to minute points. About March I clip off almost every 
leaf, leaving only bare stalks for a short time, when the young 
leaves show themselves, avoiding the bad appearance of foliage hi 
every stage of decay and colour ; a uniform bright green showing 
on every part of the wall, and so continuing throughout the year, 
with no litter from falling leaves.—H. T. 
HEATING A VERY SMALL GREENHOUSE. 
Having but recently come into occupation of a garden, with 
the addition of a small greenhouse, 13 feet by 8 feet, from which 
the former tenant had removed all vestiges of pipes, &c., for 
heating, I was at some loss to know how to preserve the few 
