No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 525 



MR. McHENRY: It would not be any injury, would it, if built 

 larger and filled with straw? 



MR. COOK: Well, if I understand you right, the question arises 

 whether there would be a chance of building theih too big, getting 

 too large a space; a four inch space will do the work — four inches 

 of air space is sufficient. I thought you meant whether those flues 

 can be built too large. That is a question. Do not build them too 

 big, or you will be up against the same proposition that many have 

 been in old fashioned houses provided with a fireplace and chimney 

 as big as a house, and then they run a single stove-pipe into it and put 

 in a small stove and fail to get the necessary draft. Why? Because 

 the volume of air played tag, if you please, the cold air and the warm 

 air, so there is such a thing as having these flues too big. 



MR. HERR: Would there be sufficient draft with a four-inch flue? 



The SECRETARY: The gentleman don't understand the construc- 

 tion of your flue. 



Mr. Cook illustrated the construction of flues by a diagram which 

 he drew upon the blackboard. 



The SECRETARY: (Referring to diagram). That is the top of the 

 flue now. 



MR. COOK: That is a section. Here are your four by four scant- 

 ling in the corner and here is your air chamber filled with straw. 



A Member: How about filling it with sawdust? 



MR. COOK: Dry sawdust would not be so bad. 



MR. FENSTERMAKER: Chaff would be good. 



MR. COOK: Good enough, yes. The trouble with sawdust is, it 

 has a tendency, if there is any volume of it, to crowd the boards off, 

 therefore, the lighter material is very much better. 



The SECRETARY: The straw put in has a tendency to harbor mice 

 and rats. 



MR. COOK: Not with a cement floor. 



A Member: How about shavings? 



MR. COOK: Dry shavings would be better than sawdust; any dry 

 material like that will do the work. 



COL. WOODWARD : Do we understand that we are to pack that 

 straw with some considerable solidity? 



MR. COOK: Whole straw I would; with cut straw I would not. I 

 think we have that question of the insulation of the flue pretty well 

 in hand. Now where shall we put it? We lack in a way data on 

 just how far a flue will work. If I can make myself understood — 

 let us take this room. If we locate a flue at either end of this room, 

 might we expect to get the service the whole length of the room? 

 Now I believe this is a safe statement to make. That up to thirty 

 cows in a building — take a building that holds thirty cows, and we 



