256 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Nor. 



cause, the syphon pipes do not empty themselves 

 of watei-, as would be the case with an ordinary 

 syphon ; the first few bubbles of air then ascend 

 the short leg of the syphon, disturb the action of 

 the valves in such a manner that they cease to 

 operate, and the pipes i n, remain full of water. 



In the foot of the short leg of the syphon is a 

 short plug, which may be drawn up a little dis- 

 tance into and thrust down out of the pipe, by 

 means of an iron rod attached to it, and passing 

 up along side the pipe, to a convenient place for 

 I'eaching it. This plug is drawn up into the 

 pipe for the purpose of stopping it when the sy- 

 phon is filled, and is also used in starting the 

 machine, when the pipes are filled and ready for 

 operation. The starting is done by drawing the 

 plug up and thrusting it out of the pipe pretty 

 quickly. This acts by removing the pressure 

 of the atmosphere for a moment from the col- 

 umn of water in the short leg ; consequently the 

 spring throws the main valve open, and the plug 

 immediately passing out of the pipe, allows the 

 machine to commence its operation. 



The advantages which this syphon apparatus 

 is claimed to possess over the ordinary hydrau- 

 lic ram, are, that it can be applied in many situ- 

 ations, where, from the form of the location, the 

 ram could not be used, as for instance, where the i 

 source of supply is a well, or where, as is often: 

 the case in mills and factories, a pipe may be 

 passed down into a place, to obtain the requisite | 

 fall, in which, from want of room, the ordinary ' 

 water-ram could not be placed ; that it is more ! 

 commodiously situated than the water-ram fori 

 repair or regulation, inasmuch as it stands high ' 

 and dry above, instead of below, the head of 

 water which operates it ; and that, when water i 

 is required to be raised to a considerable height, 

 the elevation of the working parts of the appara- 

 tus upon the summit of a syphon, divides the 

 load to be lifted, relieving the strain upon the 

 air-vessel, and making the valves less violent in 

 their action, and consequently more durable. 



For operating this machine, not less than five 

 feet fall should be obtained, below the level of 

 the supply, and more than twenty is not desira- i 

 ble. The fall may be obtained within the dis- ! 

 tance of twenty rods, or twenty feet indifferent- 

 ly, and the pipes may be laid any angle, to ac- 

 commodate circumstances. 



The sizes of the syphon pipes required for ele- 

 vating water for domestic purposes, are ordinari- 

 ly between five-eights and one and a quarter in- 

 ches in diameter, according to the amount to be 

 elevated, the height to be overcome, the quanti- 

 ty of supply, &c. Machines between the sizes 

 of five-eights and one and a quarter inch syphon 

 pipes, can be furnished, and ordinarily set up 

 (exclusive of pipe,) at prices ranging between 

 fifteen and thirty dollars. The expense for 

 pipe will of course depend on the quantity and 

 size required. 



To Prevent Smut in Wheat. 



Mr. Editor : — I have been a constant reader 

 of your paper, and very much interested in it; 

 and, on perusing it, 1 have many times wished 

 that all our farmers knew its value — for then 

 they would not be without it. 



This is the first time that I have attempted to 

 write for a public print, and it may be my last, 

 as I am no grammarian, as you will perceive. 

 But there has been something said about smutty 

 wheat — and one article, in the 9th number of 

 the Farmer, signed by Ira F. Gleason, tells 

 us to soak the seed in vitriol. This has been 

 tried in this town, some years ago, and I learned 

 by those who tried it that it was of no use. Now 

 I wish to give a better way, or I may say one 

 that I like better. It is this : sow clean seed ; 

 and if you can not get it in your town, go where 

 you can, and get all your neighbors to do the 

 same — and my word for it you will soon drive 

 smut out of town. 



And I want to tell you how you can raise 

 smut by the quantity. Take 10 bushels of clean 

 wheat, and one bushel of smut ; mix them well 

 together and sow — and I assure you that you 

 wont ask your neighbor what makes smutty 

 wheat. I once raised six heads of wheat from 

 one stool ; three of them I rubbed out and sowed 

 with as many heads of smut. The produce 

 proved to be two-thirds smut ; the heads were 

 counted to ascertain the fact. The other three 

 heads my neighbor sowed at the same time, and 

 not ■ more than six or eight inches apart — and 

 there was not a particle of smut produced. This 

 satisfied me that sowing clean seed was the best 

 way to prevent smut, and I think smut has been 

 drove out of town in this way. 



I would add that I have tried lime and brine, 

 but it did no good. I dare say there has been 

 as much smut raised in this town as in any in 

 the State, and there has been many experiments 

 tried, some of which have proved beneficial — 

 but not as good as clean seed. We now proba- 

 bly raise as good and clean wheat here as in any 

 town in the State. I think that lime is benefi- 

 cial to wheat ; but the small quantity that is gen- 

 erally sown with it, is, I think, of little use. 

 Yours, &;c., N. Simons. 



Castile, N. Y., Sept., 1847. 



Botanical Curiosities. — Mr. Gregg, the 

 distinguished traveler and author of ihe Com- 

 naerce of the Prairies, has exhibited to the 

 American Institute an assortment of Mexican 

 plants, numbering in all upwards of 800 speci- 

 mens. They were collected from every part of 

 the country, and to the scientific world must be 

 of great value. They are well worth seeing on 

 account of their many peculiarities. Mr. Gregg, 

 by the way, as we are informed, is on the eve 

 of performing another pilgrimage into the wild- 

 erness of the far-off" South.— iV. Y. Express. 



