154 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



SUPPLEMENTAllY llEPOKT OF THE PROFESSOR OF AGRICUJ^ 



TURE. 



To the President: 



la writing this supplement I will beo^in with the report of tlie expenditure 

 for steam power wliich was concluded in this year (1878-9.) The money for 

 motive power was to have been expended in connection with steam power at 

 the boarding hall ; but a change in jilans there obliged us to expend the money 

 independently. 



After correspondence with several parties, we concluded to accept tlie propo- 

 sition of James Leffel & Co., Springfield, 0., and accordingly purchased a 

 6^ horse-power engine of their manufacture. It was then planned to have it 

 placed away from the barns, so as to avoid all possibility of danger from fire. 

 It was placed 400 feet distant and east from the main barn, and 310 feet from 

 the nearest shed, connected with the barns. A small building 10 by 14 feet was 

 built to receive it. 



The power is transmitted to the barns by means of an endless wire rope 7-16 

 inch in diameter, over two large iron sheaves or pulleys, manufactured ex- 

 pressly for such use, 5 feet in diameter. 



The rope and pulleys were obtained of John Roebling's Sons, Trenton, 

 N. J. 



The engine house is connected with the wind mill tank and water supply by 

 a connection of 23 feet of gaspipe, which with proper stopcocks controls the 

 supply of water to tlie engine, and at the same time taps the tank for the pur- 

 pose of wetting down the newly formed compost heap of the horticultural de- 

 partment which is near, in a dry time. If the well now pumped by wind-mill, 

 proves to be of sufficient capacity, it is proposed to use a rotary })nmp, which 

 can easily be attached to the shafts in the engine house, and abandon the wind- 

 mill at that point (as it is getting somewhat worn) when it may finally give 

 out. Tliis change caused the purcliase of a G-foot shaft for tlie driving power 

 in tlie engine iiouse with one oO-inch pulley; also the purchase of 28 feet of 

 shaft for the main barn with one 4-foot pulley and two 2-foot pulleys. The 

 former drives our thresher, or the No. 4 Cummins cutter. One of the latter 

 drives combined Challenge feed mill (with shelling attachment). This is set 

 in the room known as the east granary. 



By cutting through and putting in an outside door, wo are enabled to deliver 

 loads of corn within 10 feet of the shellcr, and unload in bin ]irepared to re- 

 ceive it, while a pipe from the grinder conducts the meal below below into a 

 bin with capacity of 75 bushels, wliich is on the same floor with the stables 

 and but a few feet removed from them, thus rendering the feeding very con- 

 venient. The handling, both of corn and feed when ground, is thus reduced 

 to a minimum. Tlie remaining jiullcy drives a shaft in the basement (which 

 was in use before), and this in turn drives the pulper or grater for roots. 



Our engine furnishes us the power and we arc able by the above arrange- 

 ment of shafts, pulleys and belts, to thresh, to shell and grind, and cut feed 

 at one time, to grind and pulp roots at one time, or to cut feed and pulp roots 

 at one time. 



In this way we have considerable latitude in i)hinning the work to be done 

 in the barns with the machinery. 



