February 5, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
361 
HEATING AND VENTILATING. 
The system of ventilation, double glazing, and 
heating advanced by your correspondent, “W. B. G.” 
is a novel one, which, if it only possessed the two 
objections pointed out, might supplant, in some measure, 
the method of heating so generally in vogue. The 
objections to this system are not only two, but many, 
which I hope to point out clearly. More faith could 
have been placed in the mode of heating brought before 
us if it had been put to the test, for it is only by such 
a course that advantages and disadvantages can be 
clearly proved. I am perfectly aware that any inno¬ 
vation from a recognised system is certain to meet with 
disapproval and condemnation ; in this spirit I do not 
propose to criticise your correspondent, but to deal with 
his plan in an unbiassed manner. 
The firstobjection is the increased cost of the building. 
Now this, I contend, is a serious one in these days of 
depression and strict economy ; but principally for the 
latter the theory appears to have been advanced. If 
the old system of heating and glazing had failed to 
prove satisfactory, or is extremely costly in comparison 
to the return, then any new scheme would be most 
gladly welcomed. I do not say 
perfection has been attained in the 
culture of plants and fruits, neither 
do I think we may ever hope for 
the attainment of such results ; but 
very great excellence has been 
accomplished, and greater strides, 
it is to be hoped, may yet be made 
by the system of heating, glazing 
and ventilating that has become so 
general. 
Does the new system offer ad¬ 
vantages that are likely to result 
in the achievement of greater ac¬ 
complishments ? If it does, then 
the system, although very costly 
at first, would, in the end, prove 
the more economical. It would 
not do this, for the method of 
“W. B. G.’s,” instead of proving 
one of economy, would be the very 
reverse. The extra cost of con¬ 
struction, combined with the keep¬ 
ing of such a structure in repair, 
would be almost double that of 
repairing a house built on the 
ordinary method. The saving of 
fuel would not cover this cost; 
and it is, indeed, questionable if 
the consumption of fuel would not 
be considerably increased by heat¬ 
ing at the top instead of at the 
base. Such a method would have 
to be put into practice before it 
could be proved that the woodwork 
of the structure would be preserved 
by heating at the top. 
However well houses may be 
painted, the woodwork of those 
that are kept hot and moist is 
certain to become thoroughly 
saturated, and decay in course of 
time. Now I am not certain whether the wood would 
not rot more quickly by the top-heating theory than 
by that practised in all gardens ; the wood would be 
subjected to greater extremes. Supposing it to be kept 
dry between the two layers of glass, the internal side 
would be constantly wet. 
If anything should happen to the pipes (the best 
arranged schemes are liable to fail), the cost of repairs 
would again be double. But to set this aside, and suppose 
it happened in winter, both layers of glass would have 
to be removed, and the cold external atmosphere would 
be admitted direct to the plants. As far as I can 
perceive, in case of failure, the whole of the plants 
would have to be removed. 
The question of light has been brought forward as an 
objection. This is even greater than that of extra cost 
in construction or failure in the pipes. In a very short 
time light would be almost totally excluded from the 
occupants of the house ; the glass would soon become 
so dirty and green, that it would be practically coated 
in a very short time. Especially would this be the 
case in the neighbourhood of towns, for in such localities 
it bothers the keenest observer to discover how the soot 
and dirt finds an entrance. The system of heating may 
prove advantageous to the plants or the contrary ? 
To illustrate the impracticability of “\V. B. G.’s” 
system of heating, we must have only span-roofed 
houses in our gardens. The cooling that would take 
place in those leaning against walls would be enormous. 
Double glazing and the heating of these all over the 
roof, to keep up a given temperature, would result in a 
greater consumption of fuel than by the method of 
heating these structures internally. I do not want to 
anticipate your correspondent, for he may be able to 
tell us how he would effectually prevent the cooling of 
such a structure ? 
Another objection, and by no means the least, is 
that we should be compelled to have the whole of our 
houses the same, or nearly the same, size. Even with 
a number of low span-roofed houses, the difficulty of 
heating at the top is great ; but this would be increased 
fifty-fold if we had various-sized houses, such as are 
adapted for Vines, Peaches, plants (large and small), 
Cucumbers, Melons and other purposes. The pipes 
would all be on different levels, and how would a 
uniform degree of heat to the whole be maintained ? 
It may be said by the regulation of valves. They 
would require some regulating, and 
a man constantly in charge, to 
ensure circulation with certainty. 
With a difference, perhaps, of many 
feet in the level of the pipes, a 
good many valves would be needed 
to check those on the highest por¬ 
tion of the roof. “W. B. G.” 
may be prepared with a scheme, 
and to him I leave this matter for 
explanation. 
Air-pipes would be needed in 
this arrangement as well as the old 
one. Would they be closed or 
open ? If closed, they alone, in a 
large arrangement, would entail 
considerable attention. If open, I 
wonder who would tolerate a large 
display of air-pipes sticking above 
the roofs of their hothouses ? Some 
of these would necessarily be several 
feet in length, if the houses varied 
in height, as they do in the majority 
of gardening establishments. These 
air-pipes would have the appearance 
of so many miniature “ flag-staffs.” 
The supply cistern to feed the 
boiler or boilers, as the case might 
be, would have to be above the 
highest pipes, which would prove 
an objection and a great eyesore in 
private gardens. If each house, or 
range of houses, were heated with 
a separate boiler, the objections 
would be materially increased over 
a system of heating from one 
boiler by the aid of mains. Has 
“W. B. G.” estimated the enor¬ 
mous pressure on the boiler by this 
method of top-heating ? I have a 
house under my charge 17 ft. 6 ins. 
high, 70 ft. long, and 40 ft. wide. 
How would he heat a house of this description, as 
well as a number of others varying from 6 ft. to 14 ft. 
high, from the same boiler, or as evenly and effectually 
as can be done by the old method ? 
The objections to “W. B. G.’s” system more than 
counterbalance any advantages that might result from 
the method of ventilation recommended. Cold draughts 
can be avoided by keeping the ventilators close, and 
the adoption of the close system of treatment, or the 
method known as non-ventilation.— Saxon. 
■ - ■*$*— - 
Late-keeping Apples — I have much pleasure 
in adding my testimony to the good qualities of Golden 
Noble, mentioned in the note on late-keeping Apples, 
by “ J. F.," in your last issue. I have a few samples 
of it left, which are keeping well and retain their firm¬ 
ness and brisk flavour to the last. The tree does not 
make so much wood as some varieties, but crops fairly 
well. I should also like to add that useful sort, 
Hollandbury, to the list, some fruits of which I have, 
and they look like keeping for weeks. It is a very 
good grower, crops fairly well and retains its colour 
and fine flavour to the last.— E. F. Kemp, Clapton. 
be new, but the one of double glazing is not; I know of 
one structure glazed on that principle, and it proved a 
perfect failure, and one layer of glass had to be removed. 
Heating the house, or supplying the requisite heat to 
the plants from above is unnatural; and thesystem gener¬ 
ally in vogue more nearly approaches the laws of nature. 
Does the great source of heat, the sun, warm the air in 
its passage downwards ? I have always been under the 
impression that the earth and bodies upon it absorbed 
the sun’s heat, and the air was heated by radiation. 
Instead of the top-heating system proving economical 
in the consumption of fuel, it would insure greater 
waste by heating the large volumes of the external air 
continuously passing over the upper layer of glass. 
One of the recommendations of “ W. B. G.’s” new 
theory is, that there would be a minimum of drip by 
condensation, which would result in a greater volume 
of light being admitted to the occupants of the house. 
The glass of heated structures, that is, of houses that 
are kept at low or intermediate temperatures, say about 
50°, except in the case of a conservatory or houses that 
are extremely high, very rarely become frozen inside. 
This does take place in houses from which frost only 
Bhodanthe Manglesi alba naxa. 
is excluded ; but the coating of ice inside the glass 
would not shut out so much light as would result from 
the double glazing system. 
It may be argued that although the condensed 
moisture does not freeze on the glass, it eventually 
falls on the plants. This is true where provision is not 
made to prevent it. I venture to predict that in the 
erection of hothouses for plant and fruit-growing in the 
future—that is, if the persons entrusted with the work 
know what they are doing —this provision will be made. 
The bars or rafters can now be grooved as cheaply, or 
nearly so, as making a plain bar, and the condensed 
moisture is carried down them to a small spout at the 
base, in which the water can be conducted to the tank 
or out of the house entirely. Horticultural builders 
might do worse than make a note of this hint, as well 
as those gardeners who are only familiar with the old 
plain bar. If we take it for granted that no moisture 
is condensed on the glass by “ W. B. G.’s” plan of 
heating and glazing, the atmosphere would naturally 
be cool, and the plants would become coated with 
water. This would be a natural result, for they would 
radiate more rapidly than the soil, pots, or the material 
upon which they are standing. Would such a method 
