38 Farmers’ Bulletin 1285. 
the gross volumes of tanks recommended for the respective batch 
volumes given in column 1. These volumes include the extra space 
allowed for boiling. 
The cooking tanks of most farm plants are not provided with 
covers. Although the temperature of the solution may be raised to 
the boiling point more quickly in a covered tank, the use of this 
type of tank is of doubtful advantage. Practically all commercial 
cooking is done in uncovered tanks. If covers are employed they 
should be made of metal or wood and should fit loosely over and 
rest upon the top edge of the cooking tank. They should be sup- 
ported from above by ropes or light steel wire cables passing over 
pulleys to a counterweight so that they may be raised and lowered 
readily. Several holes should be provided in the top to permit steam 
and gases to pass off. 
Cooking tanks may be cylindrical, cubical, or oblong in shape with 
either flat or round bottom. The rectangular tank is usually easier 
to install and the round bottom can be cleaned with less difficulty than 
can a flat bottom with square corners. Moreover, the rounded shape 
of the bottom msures thorough mixing of the entire mass with an 
agitator like that shown in Figures 9 and 24. 
“On the inside of the cooking tank, just above the agitator, supports 
should be provided for a three-fourths-inch mesh heavy wire screen. 
This screen prevents the lime and sulphur coming in contact with 
the agitator until the lime is properly slaked. If the screen is not 
provided lumps of lime may clog the agitator and, in the furnace 
type, become burned through contact with the bottom of the tank 
before it is slaked. 
HOT-WATER TANK. 
The hot water tank may be built of either metal or wood if the 
water is heated by steam. If the hot gases of the smoke flue of a 
furnace are utilized in heating the water a metal tank with flat bot- 
tom is necessary. Concrete tanks may be employed where steam is 
used for heating. The capacity should be sufficiently greater than 
the volume required for one cooking that there will be ample hot 
water available for cleaning the cooking tank or tanks after a cook- 
ing and for the next batch. Sizes and volumes of tanks suitable for 
plants of various capacities and like those shown in Figures 6 and 
21 are given in columns 3 to 12. in Table 2. Metal water tanks should 
be of material not less than one-twentieth of an inch thick. If the 
tanks are elevated, as in the designs illustrated, the bottoms should 
be reinforced with iron bars, old rails, channels, or other suitable 
metal supports. 
The water tank may be filled from a cold water supply pipe fixed 
in position over the tank or from a hose line. Discharge from the 
tank should be out of the bottom through a 14 or 14 inch pipe, prefer- 
ably the larger size. The discharge line should be equipped with two 
outlets, one to the cooking tank and the other for draw ing hot water 
for use in the sulphur- -paste mixer. Each outlet should be controlled 
by means of a cut-off valve or cock. A measuring stick or gauge 
graduated so as to read gallons and parts of gallons according to 
the height of water in the tank will assist materially in drawing off 
a given quantity. The gauge may be portable or it may be perma- 
nently fixed on the inside of the tank. 
