1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



181 



For the New England Farmer, 

 ■WATEB. 



Mr. Editor : — I have had a little unfortunate 

 experience connected with pipe-laying for an aque- 

 duct ; and as a relation of that experience may 

 save somebody from making a similar blunder, and 

 may possibly suggest to many how they can save 

 much labor by a slight expenditiu-e, I will, with 

 your permission, tell my story, hoping also that 

 some one among your scientific readers may be 

 able to enlighten me as to the precise nature of 

 my blunder. When I first came to "the place I 

 now occupy, there was for most of the year a 

 flowing spring near the foot of a hill about thirty 

 rods from my house, and in fact there was about 

 an acre of ground kept so wet by a general spring- 

 iness on the upper side, that none but the poorest 

 of water grasses would grow there. After a few 

 years it occurred to me that, by bringing this wa- 

 ter through a pipe to my barn, a double advantage 

 would be secured — the land would be drained, and 

 an easy supply of water furnished for the use of 

 the cattle. 



A well Avas dug about eight feet deep, and a pipe 

 laid, with a drain to carry oiT surplus water when 

 it should come Avithin four feet of the surface of 

 the ground. Following the course of the pipe, 

 the land descends about fifteen feet in ten rods : 

 then rises again seven or eight feet, then falls 

 slightly till it reaches the place where the receiv- 

 ing tub stands. The water flows through a half- 

 inch lead pipe, the fall, when the water is highest, 

 being five or six feet in coming a distance of thir- 

 ty rods. With this fall, the pipe will carry at 

 least, four hundred gallons in twenty-four hours. 

 Three-fourths of this is taken aAvay by a Avaste 

 pipe into a drain about tAvo rods long, and three 

 feet deep, nearly filled Avith stones, Avhence it is 

 readily absorbed into the surrounding soil. 



I am noAV satisfied that I made a blunder in lay- 

 ing the pipe so near the surface of the ground, 

 some parts of it being less than two feet deep. I 

 have mentioned that there is a small savcU in the 

 ground over Avhich the pipe passes. Of course, 

 the pipe is, for a short distance, higher there than 

 on either side of the savcII. Now it happens every 

 season, at the time Avhen the ground is Avarmest, 

 (and usually at the same time the fountain-head 

 is lowest, and the current less rapid in its flow,) 

 that the delivery of Avater gradually diminishes 

 and finally ceases altogether, even though there 

 are at the time tAVo feet of Avater in the Avell. But 

 on attaching a pump to the pipe, and pumping for 

 half an hour, the Avater Avill again floAV for a Avcek 

 or two, when the same operation has to be pei'- 

 formed over again. In my ignorance I can ac- 

 count for tliis interruption only by supposing eith- 

 er that some of the gases that are always mixed 

 with Avater, become separated by the Avarmth of 

 the Avater, and rise and remain in the highest part 

 of the pipe, accumulating there till the Avater is 

 entirely cut off", or else that the eSect is produced 

 by the accumulation there of hydrogen gas set free 

 in the oxidation of the lead of the pipe. 



At any rate, this is the practical Avorking of the 

 pipe. In the latter part of summer the Avater has 

 uniformly stopped running, even Avith more than 

 two feet of water in the Avell ; Avhile at the present 

 time, (middle of February,) though the spring has 

 been, since September, loAver than I have ever be- 



fore known it, the Avater continues to flow, though 

 so sloAvly, that it can hardly be detected, not 

 amounting to more than two pailfuls in tAventy- 

 four hours. 



But even Avith this draAvback, I consider the 

 aqueduct among the most valuable and best pay- 

 ing improvements of my farm. Without any la- 

 bor or care, there is always ready for use a liberal 

 supply of good Avater. The expense in this case 

 has been less than the cost of a avcU and pump 

 Avould have been. The cash outlay Avas only about 

 thirty dollars. 



NoAV I believe it Avould be found, on examina- 

 tion, that a large proportion of the barns of Ncav 

 England might be supplied with Avater by means 

 of springs and brooks. Where these ha])j)en to 

 be on high ground, so that the flow Avill be direct, 

 so much the better ; but science has given us, in 

 the hydraulic ram, a poAvcr that Avill enable us to 

 compel Avater to run up hill, and so Ave can take 

 advantage of streams or copious springs much 

 lower than the place Avhere we Avish the Avater de- 

 livered. And 1 believe a judicious expenditure 

 for this purpose would soon be repaid in the sav- 

 ing of labor. M. P. 



For the NeiB England Farmer. 

 NOTES AND INQUIRIES. 



Painting the Roof of Buildings. — Upon 

 page 32, January number, current volume New 

 England Fi*nner, is an article about "Important 

 things to knoAV about building," Avhich is sugges- 

 tive, and upon an important subject ; one upon 

 Avhich too little thought is given, in many instan- 

 ces, by those Avho are erecting buUdings for their 

 own or others' use. 



It is a too true saying that a large majority of 

 our buildings are built for shoAV, and the present 

 only ; especially those built by Yankees ; but the 

 day of these things, it is hoped and believed, is 

 fast passing aAvay. But the question is. Whether 

 painting the roof, or sliingles upon the roof, is 

 useful, and as much so, as upon the Avails of a 

 building ? 



It is claimed by many who have tried it, that 

 the shingles painted, instead of being "done for a 

 lifetime," as contended, Avill not last any longer 

 than if not painted, Avhere the paint is put on af- 

 ter the shingles are all laid, and some even con- 

 tend that they Avill not last so long as Avithout the 

 paint. I have seen shingles that had to be re- 

 moved, that Avere painted, because they Avere so 

 rotten that they Avere more like sieves, as for as 

 keeping the Avater out Avas concerned, than like a 

 shingled roof; and still to stand and look upon 

 the roof it Avas "fair to behold" — apparently but 

 little the Avorse for wear. 



The reason assigned Avas, that the Avatcr came 

 in contact Avith the shingles above Avhere the paint 

 Avas applied, and followed doAvn under the paint, 

 where it was retained much longer than it other- 

 wise would have been. Consequently, they Avere 

 kept moist, and soon began to decay upon the 

 under side and in the middle, instead of di-jing, 

 as they would, had not the water been prevented 

 from evaporating by the paint upon the lower ends 

 only. 



How does this accord with your theory and ex- 

 perience, Mr. Philbrick ? 



The remedy is to paint each course as laid, up 



