140 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



June 



THE KYDFAULIC HAM. 



Messes. Editors: — Few of those who might be 

 benefitted by the use of this article, have hitherto be- 

 come aware of its great utility. Although the prin- 

 ciple upon which it acts is one of the most simple in 

 nature, and notwithstanding the fact that it has been 

 applied to the raising of water for more than 3000 

 years, a kind of mystery has hung about it, and the 

 seeming absurdity of the idea that water can be made 

 to elevate itself above its level ; and to supply a con- 

 stant and abundant stream at any desired elevation, 

 without the liability to accidents and stoppages, has 

 prevented inquiry into the construction of the Hy- 

 draulic Ram ; and consequently, it has remained 

 comparatively unknown, and until within a few years, 

 but little used. Supposing a brief description of its 

 construction and operation might be acceptable to 

 those of your readers who are not acquainted with it, 

 I submit the following to your disposal. 



The above cut represents a vertical section of the 

 ram. A, the air chamber — B, the waste valve — C, 

 valve opening into the air chamber — D, the feed or 

 driving pipe — E, pipe to convey the water where it 

 is desired. The pipe D should be 30 to 50 feet long, 

 and from 1 to 2 inches calibre ; the pipe E any length 

 desired, and about | inch calibre ; lead pipe is com- 

 monly used. The circular figure on the left repre- 

 sents the form of the waste valve. The waste valve 

 is made to vibrate up and down thus : the water 

 passes down the driving pipe D, and escapes at the 

 waste valve B. Now, as any descending body in. 

 creases in velocity and force every instant of its de- 

 scent, the column of water descending in the driving 

 pipe, quickly attains sufficient velocity and force to 

 lift the waste valve, but the valve in rising instantly 

 stops the passage, and the whole momentum of the 

 water strikes against it and seeks relief, which is on- 

 ly found at the valve C, through which a quantity of 

 water is forced into the air chamber, where it is con- 

 fined by the closing of the valve. The momentum 

 being thus expended, and the water at rest, the valve 

 B drops by its own gravity, and is ready to start 

 again. After repeated vibrations, the air chamber 

 becomes partly filled with water, compressing with a 

 small space the air, which, by its elasticity, reacts 

 upon the water, and forces it up the pipe E to any 

 desired elevation or distance. 



Thus simple is the machine, and, when once prop- 

 erly set, it will act for years without a penny's worth 

 of repairs, and be as constant and regular in its duty 

 as is the law of nature upon which it ads. 



Many a farmer has a good spring or stream of wa- 

 ter in the vicinity of his buildings, which would be 

 to him invaluable if it could be brought to the house 

 and barn; but being at a distance, and below the 

 level of his buildings, it cannot be done by the ordi- 

 nary means of conveying water ; to such the ram 

 becomes one of the most useful contrivances thai '■>< 

 genuity and science has ever furnished. Faithfully 



performing its work, unattended and unnoticed, with 

 constant and regular pulsations as of life, it presents 

 one of the most beautiful and interesting achieve- 

 ments that mind has ever obtained over matter. 



A fall of not less than 18 inches at the spring, and 

 a quantity of w T ater not less than J gallon per min- 

 ute, are necessary to operate the Ram, — but the 

 greater the fall and the quantity of water furnished, 

 the greater will be the quantity of water elevated by 

 the Ram. They are made of several skes, and 

 adapted to every variety of circumstances. Differ- 

 ent manufactures number their rams without regard 

 to the size of the corresponding number of others. 

 The No. 4 Ram, sold at the Albany Agricultural 

 Warehouse, is the most convenient size for common 

 purposes, and when set according to the directions 

 accompanying it, may be made to raise 10 to 20 hogs- 

 heads of water to an elevation of 50 to 100 fe< •, ancf 

 carry it to any distance required. It should be re- 

 membered that the greater the fall at the spring or 

 stream, compared with the height to which the wa- 

 ter is elevated, the greater will be the quantity of 

 water elevated, and that there is no limit to the height 

 to which it may be raised, except the strength of the 

 pipes used. W. B. E.— May, 1849. 



Remarks. — For the purpose of further illustrating 

 the subject discussed by our correspondent, we add 

 the annexed cut, which represents the hydraulic ram 

 as it appears in operation: 



H, spring or brook. C, drive or supply pipe, from 

 spring to ram. G, pipe conveying water to house 

 or other point required for use. B, D, A, E, I, the 

 ram. J, the plank or other foundation to w T hich the 

 ram is secured. 



In the eighth volume of the Farmer we published 

 a series of articles entitled "Hydraulics for Farm- 

 ers," embracing figures and descriptions of various 

 water rams — to which we refer those of our readers 

 desiring further information. — Ed. 



Milk as an article of Diet. — It is common to 

 regard milk as little else than mere driqk. But this 

 is an error. Milk is really an article of solid food, 

 being coagulated soon after reaching the stomach. 

 New milk contains thirteen per cent, of digestibll 

 solids, and skim milk ten per cent.; that is, the foi 

 mer fully one-half and the latter above a third of the 

 nutriment contained in the lean part of beef and mut- 

 ton. — Foreign journal. 



