160 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



most every species of material, the value of which is in- 

 creased by being in a thoroughly dried condition. There 

 seems to be an agreement on all sides that a drying appa- 

 ratus of a good construction, forming a part of the perma- 

 nent mechanism of the farm, would soon pay the cost of 

 its construction by the increased value given to various 

 crops by its use. We believe, indeed, the whole subject 

 of the preservation of grain to be second to none of all the 

 important objects which the enlightened farmer has in* 

 view; nor the less so because at present it does not engage 

 the attention of the general community, we believe that in 

 time it will do so. We make, therefore, no apology for 

 having directed the attention of the reader to a few of its 

 leading points. And before concluding the subject we will 

 draw attention very briefly to the modes in use of obtain- 

 ing and applying a supply of warmed air by using steam 

 or hot water. There are two ways in which grain, &c., 

 may be dried by the application of currents of warmed air 

 namely, first, allowing the air to pass over heated sur- 

 faces, and thereafter to find its way through the mass to 

 be warmed and, secondly, warming large bodies of air 

 by a special apparatus, and forcing these into the chamber 

 in which the material to be dried is placed. No matter 

 which of these two modes is adopted, the great aim is to 

 have the largest supply possible of heated air with the 

 smallest extent of heating surface. Not the least advan- 

 tage of a fixed steam engine on the farm is the facility with 

 which a supply of steam can be obtained, not only for 

 cooking but for drying purposes. Let us briefly describe 

 some of the modes by which either the waste steam of the 

 engine or a special supply of it can be used to the warming 

 of large bodies of air. 



25. The usual way to use steam for heating the interior 

 of a building is to pass it from the boiler to a pipe which 

 is led round the apartment in which the wheat is to be 

 dried. This is placed either on standards near the wall, or 

 within a conduit or open drain beneath the flooring, this 

 being covered with open grating, through which the heated 



