October, 1916 
39 
and as soon as the drafts are closed and 
the rate of combustion lowered, vacuum is 
created. From the standpoint of fuel econ¬ 
omy, the vapor system represents a saving 
of from twenty-five to forty per cent. 
Fuel economy with a steam plant depends 
upon whether or not the desired tempera¬ 
ture of the house can be maintained in the 
coldest weather without forcing or raising 
an unnecessary pressure. A steam plant 
should be designed to take care of the heat¬ 
ing in the most severe weather with ordi¬ 
nary firing. Then in mild weather the house 
can be heated from the vapor without any 
pressure being indicated on the gauge. 
Steam is very quick acting, and if the damp¬ 
ers are opened a little it will respond in a 
short time to meet any conditions. More 
waste of fuel in steam heating plants is due 
-to inadequate systems than to anything else. 
Forcing is thus necessary whenever the 
weather turns a little cold. As a result of 
this one house may require a consumption 
of several tons of coal more in a season 
than another of exactly the same size and 
arrangement. A large, adequate sized 
steam plant, instead of being more costly, 
is in the end more economical. If, in instat¬ 
ing one, provision is made to heat the house 
easily in zero weather, satisfaction for all 
temperatures will be assured. 
Ti-ie Hot Water System 
Hot water heating is very popular today, 
thousands of houses being equipped with it. 
The principle upon which all low pressure 
hot water heating is based is the fact that 
water is at its greatest density and minimum 
volume at 39.2° F. Upon the temperature 
being raised above this point the volume in¬ 
creases and the density decreases. For in¬ 
stance, a gallon of water heated from 40° 
to 212° F. expands to 1 1/23 gallons. 
During this process of expansion the 
heated or lighter water rises to the top, and 
goes through the pipes to the radiators. 
While in the radiator it comes in contact 
with the colder air, and becoming cooler and 
of greater density it descends through a re¬ 
turn pipe to the boiler. This process is con¬ 
tinued indefinitely, or as long as the fire 
keeps the boiler hot. The formation of 
steam is impossible because of the expan¬ 
sion tank which permits an outlet. There is 
consequently no danger of an explosion, and 
the action of the water is free from noise 
and that violent metallic knocking. 
A good hot water plant has a temperature 
variation ranging from 90° to 200°, and ow¬ 
ing to this fact it seems wonderfully suited 
to our American climate. It is possible to 
heat any building to any desired degree pro¬ 
vided the plant is large enough and properly 
designed and managed. So far as manage¬ 
ment is concerned, this system is the easiest 
to handle of any. If the water is allowed 
to get cold, however, it requires a long time 
and a great expenditure of heat to warm it 
up to the point of passing through the pipes. 
A good plant should keep the water warm 
all the time, anti even at night it should not 
cool off. Bad management is indicated 
when the water is cold in the morning, for 
it should remain hot for several hours after 
(Continued on page 70) 
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THE WHYS AND WHEREFORES OF MULCHING 
Protect tender shrubs and roses by building 
around them a mulch of straw mats that will 
ward off extreme cold and snow 
A SIMPLE definition of mulch would 
be “any substance which may be 
strewn upon the ground so as to retain its 
moisture for the benefit of the roots which 
it covers, or to serve as a non-conductor of 
the coldness or heat of the air, and to pre¬ 
serve the warmth of the earth beneath.’’ 
The mulch is a faithful gardening ally, as 
■essential to the success of the well consid¬ 
ered grounds as the spade, the rake or the 
spraying pump, if it is properly used. 
Various Mulches 
Mulching may be done in a great variety 
•of ways and for different purposes. Sum¬ 
mer mulching is intended to protect the soil 
from too rapid drying under the direct rays 
of the sun, while the winter mulch is de¬ 
signed to prevent the sudden and excessive 
freezing and thawing of the earth. Leaves 
are the natural mulch for forest trees. At 
the approach of winter, see how all the trees 
disrobe their branches to drop a cover of 
leaves upon their roots. The 
winds blow them from the 
great trunks which are deep 
rooted and need them least, to 
lodge among the stems and 
roots of the underbrush which 
needs them the most. 
Leaves are the most natural 
and the best cover for roots. 
But they cannot be used to ad¬ 
vantage in summer on well 
kept grounds because of the 
difficulty of retaining them in 
place, and their unsightly ef¬ 
fect when blown about the 
lawn. In autumn, however, 
they should be gathered when 
most abundant, for a winter 
mulch, and kept in place by 
branches laid over them. The 
twigs and leaves together catch 
the blowing snow and thus 
make a warm snow blanket in addition to 
their own protection. For summer mulch¬ 
ing, sawdust (not too fresh), and “chip 
dirt” are good and tidy protections. Old 
straw is excellent but unsightly and too dis¬ 
orderly when blown by winds to be satisfac¬ 
tory in neatly kept places; and when used 
too freely it harbors mice. Tanbark is a 
favorite summer mulch, and a very good one 
if not put on too thick. Evergreen leaves 
and twigs are admirable for either summer 
or winter, but especially for the latter on 
account of the snow that accumulates in 
them. Massed to the depth of 1', the ground 
beneath them will hardly feel the frosts. 
Trees or shrubs which are hardy enough to 
he forced into a rank growth without mak¬ 
ing their new wood too succulent and tender 
to bear the following winter, may be 
mulched with short manure, hut trees of 
doubtful hardiness must not he thus stimu¬ 
lated. If used at all it should he in autumn 
for winter service; rake it off in spring and 
The summer mulch consists in scratching the 
soil so that it will be protected from drying too 
rapidly under the direct rays of the sun 
replace it with some other cooler materials 
during the growing season. 
In addition to the mulching required over 
the roots of young trees and shrubs in 
winter, it is necessary to cover with some 
protection of the trunks and sometimes the 
entire tops of those which are half hardy. 
Protecting Trunks and Branches 
The stems of young trees may be cov¬ 
ered with straws bound around them, mat¬ 
ting, or with strong brown paper. Small 
treetops and spreading shrubs may be care¬ 
fully drawn together with straw cords and 
bound 11)3 in straw matting as completely as 
bundles of trees sent out from a nursery. 
As such masses are likely to catch the snow 
and offer considerable resistance to the 
wind, it is absolutely necessary in all cases 
after a subject has been thus bound to drive 
strong stakes near by and fasten the bound- 
up branches securely to them until the cover 
(Continued on page 70) 
