i56 



TJlc Country Gentleman's Magazine 



Jfarni (Engineering. 



UNDER the above title we purpose 

 taking up that important department 

 to which may be given the general title of 

 the " Mechanics of Agriculture," which com- 

 prises all the subjects concerned not only 

 with the implements and machines of the 

 field, but the structures of the fold and the 

 steading. These will be discussed from time 

 to time in a series of papers, in the matter 

 of which we aim at two things — brevity and 

 practicality. We do not design to give 

 them in the regular order of a glossary or 

 a dictionary, of which although much can 

 be said in favour, would preclude " Notes" 

 on subjects which may at the time be more 

 than usually interesting and suggestive, and 

 to which, on many accounts, it might be 

 desirable to draw immediate attention. 

 Thus far is it necessary to go in our in- 

 troductory remarks : Avhat further is con- 

 nected with the principles upon which the 

 series is commenced will best be developed 

 in the course of the articles of which that 

 series will be made up. One point only we 

 notice here, and that is, that we shall, as far 

 as may be competent for us to do, give an 

 equal amount of attention to each depart- 

 ment of the " Mechanics of Agriculture," to 

 that of the " implements and machines," and 

 that of the " buildings of the farm ;" so that 

 by the time we arrive at the conclusion of the 

 series these branches of the art will both be 

 pretty equally discussed. 



We have said that we shall aim at brevity 

 and practicality in these Notes, but it is 

 obvious that the two terms must be used 

 conjointly, inasmuch as if we only aim at 

 securing brevity, we shall likely lose the 

 important element of practicality. That both 

 will be secured in the majority of instances 



Ave believe ; at all events, our best efforts wil 

 be given to secure them. 



WATER AS A SOURCE OF POWER TO THE 

 FAR.MER. 



At a meeting of the British Association, Sir 

 William Armstrong pointed out the fact that 

 throughout this country there existed in almost 

 all, but very markedly in some districts, a 

 source of power which costs nothing in its 

 primary or normal condition, and of which 

 the practical adaptation to useful purposes 

 costs comparatively little; this source of 

 power being the numerous rivulets and water- 

 courses of our rural districts. It is our pur- 

 pose here to consider a few of the means by 

 which w^ater as it flows-— in many cases quite 

 uselessly — past our farm-steadings, can be 

 made to render service to the farmer who 

 occupies it. In using water as a source of 

 power, the first point we have to decide is the 

 way in which the supply can be maintained, 

 so as to be at all times available. In many 

 localities the source of supply is so admirably 

 situated with reference to the building, that 

 nothing remains to be done but to apply the 

 machine by which the power is, so to speak, 

 created, and so lead off this power by the 

 usual simple means to work the machines of 

 the steading. In some localities, however, 

 the sujDply is either so far from the building, 

 or its amount so small, that it has either to be 

 led up to the place where the machine is to 

 work, or to be stored up in the intervals of 

 labour, and afterwards used for working the 

 machine. 



1. THE HYDRAULIC RA.M. 



Of all modes in use for the raising of water 

 from a low to a high level, we know of none 



