Popular Science Monthly 



955 



This cistern is made of concrete blocks. 

 Its height is about ten feet 



A Cistern of Concrete 



THIS cistern, located above ground 

 and on an elevation, makes it 

 possible to have water under pressure 

 in all departments of the farm. Water 

 is pumped into the cistern by the farm 

 windmill, the frame of which can be 

 seen in the illustration. The cistern is 

 built of concrete blocks laid in cement 

 mortar. It is a round structure, the 

 inside diameter being twelve and a half 

 feet, and the height ten. The size is ample 

 for farm use, yet the cost of the improve- 

 ment is within reach of the average 

 farm owner. The materials should cost 

 about sixty dollars in the middle west. 

 The foundations and the floor are of 

 solid concrete. Build the foundation 

 walls below the frost line and make 

 them ten inches thick and the floor five 

 inches thick. About 300 blocks will be 

 required for the cistern. When the 

 desired height has been constructed, 

 the next step will be the building of the 

 concrete slab roof or cover. This will 

 be re-enforced with a heavy wire mesh 



<imm 



and there will be a 24-inch cast-iron 

 manhole in the center. Build the form 

 work of lumber well supported by 

 timbers and joists. After the concrete 

 has been poured and allowed to harden, 

 the builder can enter the cistern through 

 the manhole and remove the form lumber 

 in pieces. The inside walls should be 

 given a good treatment of cement wash 

 mixed to the consistency of thick cream. 



Automatic Feeding-Hopper Built 

 for Twenty-five Cents 



PROCURE the following articles at a 

 ten-cent store; a tin pail, a funnel, 

 a pie-tin, and a strainer. The large 

 end of the funnel should be a good fit 

 for the inside of the pail. 



Cut out the bottom of the pail and 

 remove the spout of the funnel. Place 

 the funnel in the pail and solder securely. 

 Cut a V in the pie-tin, bring the edges 

 together and rivet or solder them, making 

 a conical deflector. Cut the piece 

 taken from the bottom of the pail so 

 that it will fit on the strainer; fill the 

 strainer with corn and solder the piece 



Cross-section plan of the cistern, showing 

 its dimensions 



Chickens can be trained to feed them- 

 selves by means of this device 



on to keep the corn in. A rubber band 

 or light spring and a spool cut in half 

 are also needed. 



From the cover of the pail fasten a 

 cord to a rubber band, also run a long 

 cord from the end of the rubber band 

 through the funnel to the spool valve, 

 then to the deflector, and to the bait 

 bar or strainer. The cord is fastened to 

 the spool by the wooden plug. When 

 adjusting, the plug is loosened; or the 

 feeder can be adjusted by the cord on 

 the cover of the pail. 



