182 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Are. 



Hydraulics for Farmers. 



BY C. N. BEMENT. 



NoTHiN'c; adds more to the comfort of a farm 

 house, or to the cleanliness of its inmates, than 

 the luxurious flowing of a pure stream of water 

 at the door. 



Few persons are aware of the great importance 

 of a supply of running water, at the dwellings 

 and stock yards, where cattle and other stock are 

 confined in winter, unless they have enjoyed that 

 privilege and afterwards heen deprived of it. 



I have often observed the want of this neces- 

 sary element around the houses and yards of our 

 farmers, while a stream was flowing, in the rich- 

 est profusion, within a short distance, but unfor- 

 tunately on a lower level ; and as often have I 

 wished to see some cheap and effective engine at 

 work, making the babbling idle brook work to 

 some good account, and pour the necessary share 

 at the door — a libation to neatness and economy. 

 Numberless instances, where incalculable incon- 

 venience and privation have been endured, and 

 the most prodigal waste of labor committed from 

 generation to generation, from that physical and 

 moral lathargy of character which too often leads 

 as to drag on through life, neglecting expedients 

 that the least thought would suggest, and the 

 slightest exertion bring to our relief 



For years and years have we known large 

 families to be supplied with all the water used, 

 but not a hundredth part of what was actually 

 needed, by keeping a person continually on the 

 trot to a distant, and perhaps an unclean spring, 

 bringing pails full at a time, when a constant 

 Bupply of water from streams of the smallest vol- 

 ume, might with a very simple hydraulic contri- 

 vance be made to afford a constant flow at the 

 door of the kitchen, the dairy and stock-yard. — 

 For :hia purpose, the Hydraulic Ram, appears 

 the most simple and economical contrivance yet 

 discovered. A simple calculation of the remu- 

 neration to be derived from the saving of labor, 

 and the money value, to say nothing of the lux- 

 ury of a full supply of water, would convince 

 them that a single year, some even less, would 

 reimburse them. Then again it is to be con- 

 sidered, for example, as to the use of it for do- 

 mestic animals, not only tlie time that is saved 

 through the whole winter, especially in sending 

 them to a distance to drink, but that they of\en 

 suffer from not having a supply when nature 

 demands. The saving of manure, too, is not to 

 be overlooked. 



Among all the devices or contrivances for con- 

 veying water from a lower to an upper level, 

 nothing as yet has been discovered equal to the 

 Hydraulic Ram. It is a very ingenious and ef- 

 fective machine for raising water by its own im- 

 pulse, and comes Bearer to a perpetual motion 

 than any other machine that has ever fallen under 

 my notice. 



If a column or body of water, moving rapidly 

 under a head, through a pipe, is suddeoly check- 

 ed, its tendency is to burst the pipe. 



This is well known in aM places where there 

 are water works, from the bursting of the leaden 

 supply pipes where these are not strong enough^ 

 on the sudden shutting off the hydrant cocks. — 

 If a small hole is made in the pipe, just above the 

 cock, the water will escape f^rom it in a very 

 high jet, much higher than the head, whenever 

 the cock is shut. It is this principle which is 

 brought into action in the Hydraulic Ram. If 

 a small straight upwright pipe is attached to the 

 hole, just mentioned, in the main pipe, having a 

 valve shutting downwards, which will permit the 

 water to pass upwards, but not to return, each 

 opening and shutting of the cock will force up 

 into the smaller pipe a quantity of water in pro- 

 portion to the head upon the main pipe until the 

 weight of the water in the smaller pipe is greater 

 than can be moved by the momentum of the water 

 in the main pipe, when the latter is suddenly closed. 

 Every person accustomed to draw water from 

 pipes that are supplied from very elevated sources 

 must have observed, when suddenly closed, ajar 

 or tremor communicated to the pipes, and a snap- 

 ping sound, like that from small blows of a ham- 

 mer. These effects are produced by blows which 

 the ends of the pipes receive from the water — 

 the liquid particles in contact with the plug of a 

 cock, when it is turned to stop the discharge, be- 

 ing forcibly driven up against it by those consti- 

 tuting the moving mass behind. 



Waves of the sea act as water-rams against 

 rocks or other barriers that impede their pro- 

 gress; and when their force is increased by storms 

 of wind, the most solid structures give way be- 

 fore them. 



The increased force water acquires when its 

 motion is accelerated, might be shown by a thou- 

 sand examples. A bank or trough that easily 

 retains it when at rest, or when slightly moved, 

 is often insufficient when its velocity is greatly- 

 increased. When a deep lock of a canal is open- 

 ed to transfer a boat or vessel to a lower level, 

 the water is permitted to ascend by slow degrees. 

 Were the gates opened at once, the rushing mass 

 would sweep the gates before it, or the greater 

 portion would be carried in the surge quite over 

 them, and perhaps the vessel also, A sluggish 

 stream drops almost perpendicularly over a pre- 

 cipice; but the momentum of a rapid one shoots 

 it over, and leaves a wide space between. It is 

 so with a stream issuing from a horizontal tube. 

 If the liquid pass slowly through, it falls inertly 

 at the orifice; but if its velocity be considerable 

 the jet is carried to a distance ere it touches the 

 ground. 



That the force which a running stream thus 

 acquired may be made to drive a portion of the 

 liquid far above the source whence it flows, is 

 obvious from several operations in nature. — 



