408 Transaction^ of the American Institute. 



How to Construct a Coal Bin. 



Mr. Mark "W". Stevens, Sloansville, 1ST. Y., stated that his coal bin, 

 which is constructed upon a new plan, " works so well that others 

 might like to try the method." lie sent the directions to the Club, 

 because through the Club " they are given to, and read by, nearly the 

 whole world of readers." 



It should be eight feet high, and for tw T o tons of coal, three feet 

 square ; for four tons, four feet square ; for six tons, five feet square ; 

 and for eight tons, six feet square ; with a small opening at top to 

 receive the coal. Let the floor be raised from the ground just suffi- 

 cient to admit a coal-scuttle under the end, and project three inches 

 at the place where the coal is to be discharged. Out of the lower 

 board in the side cut a notch six inches square for chestnut coal, and 

 eight inches square for stove ; cover this notch with a door ten inches 

 wide, that can be raised and lowered (like a mill-gate) in slats nailed 

 on each side of the notch. The door should be wider than the 

 passage, to prevent lumps of coal from gathering into the grooves of 

 the slats and under the door, thus preventing it from being closed. 

 About two feet above the floor should be a door to swing inward, for 

 ingress when the coal is nearly out; but until then coal can, by this 

 improvement, be drawn from a bin as easily as liquid from a spigot, 

 thus saving time and labor and also avoiding the dust that arises 

 while. shoveling it. 



Mr. C. D. Patterson, Girard, Kan., criticised as follows the state- 

 ments of Mr. Hall, of the same town, who in a previous report made 

 an effort " to answer the question as to how little money will do to 

 go west with and make a farm on the prairie : " 



I think that what he says will have a tendency to lead some inex- 

 perienced persons to think it an easy matter to open a farm here. 

 •'Therefore I wish to say a few words for the benefit of "poor men 

 with $500." Mr. II. tells you how to dispose of $475, but does not 

 tell you how to subsist a family (if you happen to have one) on $25 

 until you can raise -a crop (or fail to raise one). He does not tell you 

 that your time, with two or three with you, will be required to open 

 your farm to get it in condition to get a living, even. He does not 

 tell you that it will cost you $100 or more to make a well. He does 

 not tell you that all the stock you have need as much protection as in 

 Wisconsin. He does not tell you that stock are not allowed to run 

 at large (with no law preventing) because people shoot them on sight. 

 He does not tell you that our markets are overstocked with produce, 

 wheat excepted. lie does not tell you how to raise the first dollar to 



