686 



FARMERS' REGISTER— TRANSPORTING COAL, &c. 



TRAR'SI'ORTIIVG COAL. 



From the American Rail Road Journal. 

 j1 Co7nparison of the expense of transporting five 

 thousand tons of coal, one hundrt'd miles by loco- 

 motive engines, and by canal boain^ deduced from 

 actual ivork performed on the Little Schuylkill 

 rail road, and on the Lehigh and Delaware Ca- 

 nals. 



It is proper to premise that a locomotive engine 

 has for a considerable time diirino; the past summer 

 made three trips a day, with forty-four tons of coal 

 at each load; thus transporting^: one hundred and 

 Ibrty-fbur tons per day, from Tamaqua to Port 

 Clinton. The usual business is however ninety- 

 six tons for one engine ; this is done with ease in 

 short days, and could very conveniently be in- 

 creased, if the daily distance to be passed was 

 greater. 



It is proposed in the following estimate to allow 

 for the work of tlie engine, one hundred tons a day 

 for twenty miles, or twenty tons a day transported 

 one hundred miles, for two hundred and fifty days. 



Capital Employed. 

 Cost of engine and tender, ^5,000 00 



One-fifth additional is estimated,. I'oOO 00 



Sixteen coal wagons at JjjlOO each, 1,'600 00 



One-fifth extra, 320 00 



j^nnual Expense. 



Interest at 6 per cent.. 



Repairs at 10 per cent., 



Depreciation 5 per cent.. 



One engineer at $2, 



One fireman at %\, 



Two break men, . 



Oil, 375 gallons at .«il 12^, 



Two cords pine wood per day at \ 



$7,920 00 



8475 00 

 792 00 

 396 00 

 500 00 

 250 00 

 450 00 

 422 00 



1,000 00 



20 >< 250 = 5,000) S 4,285 20 

 887 07 



Or 87yV els. nearly per ton, for 100 miles. 



The following estimate of the expense of trans- 

 porting 5,000 tons on the Lehigh and Delaware 

 canals, is deduced from, statements furnished by 

 boatmen, of the work actually done by them. This, 

 it may be observed, can be increased but little 

 without running in the night. The boatmen say 

 that tliey could gain nothing by a relieve ol horses, 

 the locks are so frequent that the horse rests and 

 feeds sufficiently. 



It is lurthei- to be remarked, that tlie rail road 

 wagons are loaded in or al the mouth of the mine 

 from whence the coal is carried to the de()ot, and 

 that as the boat cannot be brought to the mine, tlie 

 expense of transporting the coal from the mine to 

 tlie boat and unloadmg it into the boat is an addi- 

 tional expense incidentitl to tlie canal, and the waste 

 of coal by this operation is also in addition ; for 

 these items not being precise data, )t^S per ton are 

 allowed. The labor of unloacbng the coal fiom 

 the boat at the wharf is also greater than tiiat of 

 unloading from wagons, and a part thus handled 

 must be shovelled on the screen, which is not re- 

 quired when the coal is unloaded from wagons ; for 

 this labor 8 10 per ton are estimated. 



Estimate. — It is ascertained from experience 

 that 2 good horses, with 4 men and 2 boys, will 

 haul 100 tons of coal in 2 boats 100 miles on the 

 Lehigh and Delaware Canals, and return in 12 

 days; hence 24 horses with 48 men and 24 boyg 

 take 100 tons in 24 boats 100 miles in 1 day and 

 return. 



To transport the same quantity 20 miles a day, 

 or one-fiflii of that distance, will require 48 horses, 

 9.G men, 4.8 boys, and 4.8 boats. To simplify the 

 calculation, 5 horses, 10 men, 5 boys and 5 boats, 

 are supposed to Ije employed and the proper deduc- 

 tion made from the aggregate. 



Capital J^mployed. 



Five boats at $600 each, 



One fifth extra. 



Five horses at $80 each. 



One fifth extra. 



Five harness at $6, 



$3,000 00 



600 00 



400 00 



80 00 



30 00 



$4,110 00 



j^nnual Expense. 



Interest at 6 per cent., $246 00 



Repairs of boats 5 per cent., 180 00 

 Depreciation of do. and horses 15 per 



cent., * 616 50 



Keeping 51 horses at $20 per vear, 625 00 



Wagesof5menat$l perday,(250days) 1,250 00 



Wages of 5 men at 90 cts. 1,125 00 



Wages of 5 boys at 75 cts. 937 50 



$4,979 00 



As 5: 4079.60 : : 4.8: 4,760 42 



Unloading Avagons from mine to boat, 



and waste 8 cts. per ton, 400 00 



Additional expense for unloading boats 



and screening $10, 500 00 



5,660 42 

 Which— 5,000 = $1.13. 11 : or $1.13i per ton for 

 100 miles. 



The above statements are made from actual per- 

 formance on the rail road and canals referred to, and 

 the expense thus ascertained for transporting on 

 the canal, viz.: 95' cents per ton for 100 niiles, is 

 almost })rccisely the same that is paid for boating 

 coal on the Lehigh and Delaware canals, exclusive 

 of the charge for loading and unloading, which is 

 paid for in addition. 



Yours, &c. I. 



oxALis CRENATA, u new cuUnary vegetable. 



From the New England Farmer. 

 " This plant is cultivated abundantly in the gar- 

 dens aliout Lima as a salad, for which purpose its 

 succulent stems and acid flavor seem strongly 

 to recommend it. It grows freely in our open bor- 

 ders, is readily increased by cutting as well as by 

 its tubers, which require to be taken up and pre- 

 served from frost in the manner potatoes are. The 

 tubers are produced in considerable plenty, and 

 aie often two inches long, and an inch in diameter. 

 When raw they are slightly sub-acid; but on be- 

 ing boiled they lose this acidity entirely, and taste 

 very much like the potato, for which they might 

 form an agreeable substitute at the tables of the 

 curious." 



