Title: The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade
Identifier: americanfloristw02amer (find matches)
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: American Florists Company
Subjects: Floriculture; Florists
Publisher: Chicago : American Florist Company
Contributing Library: UMass Amherst Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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iS88. The American Florist. 63
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HtVN CHR•<S^UlHtU\JV^, tL\^'S UORH. economical as regards fuel, while if a re- turn tubular boiler is used it often costs more to brick it iu than the original price of the boiler, and thus creates an item of expense which must necessarily be a question of importance to one who is just starting in business in a small way with the intention of following same to make a livelihood. The locomotive boiler which I use is about 20-horse power, as near as I can judge, with a fire-box 3x3 feet. The flow pipe is taken from the highest point directly over the boiler, and is two and a half inches in diameter, being connected with four pipes, each one and a fourth inch, which run around the house and on each one of these pipes there is a valve, making it a matter of convenience to use either one, two, three or the whole four pipes accordinj; to the weather. The pipes have a gradual fall from the boiler. My business is specially that of forcing cut flowers for the Philadelphia market and (the houses are three quarter span with a high back bench) conse- quently the houses have to be kept up to a pretty high temperature, and during the coldest weather I have maintained 58° without much trouble, thus proving that in my case at any rate steam heat is by far the best. I think that if a per- son has only two or three houses and puts in steam he will never regret it. The cost of my whole apparatus was not more than two-thirds of what it would have been had I put in hot water. I would never advise a florist to use a cast iron boiler for steam as it is much more liable to crack than one of wrought iron. Mr. A. L. Pennock, of this place, has met with two accidents with his cast iron boiler this last winter. The first time through one of the pipes in the greenhouse having a bend, the pipe bursted and consequently the water backed out of the boiler. When the night fireman saw the water low. he at once ran more in and a split in the boiler soon followed. Fortunately Mr. Pen- nock's boiler is composed of sections, and he has it so arranged with valves that he can run a part or the whole at the same time. If Mr. Ellsworth rould make it convenient to call on me I would take pleasure in showing and explaining our method of laying the pipes. W. W. COLE-S. Lansdowne, Pa. Steam Heating. In replj' to Mr. Kellopg, of Pleasant Hill, Mo., I would say that he asks an exceedingly diflicult question. Kvery man has his own idea as to which boiler is the best. We are all so liable to think that the article we use must be superior because our own wise discernment has discovered its excellent ((ualities. To ascertain which of the many boilers in the market is the best, there must be comparison of results. These can only be determined by experience, and this experience purchased, as many of us

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