FARMS 
twenty minutes a day with a good hand 
force pump will furnish a moderate sup- 
ply. If more than 100 gallons a day are 
required, it is better to use some other 
means of pumping. If an engine is used, 
a large tank is more economical, and 
twenty minutes’ pumping twice a week 
should furnish the supply. With a 
windmill an automatic regulator should 
be used, which will throw the windmill 
out of gear when the pressure reaches a 
given amount and start it again when the 
pressure is relieved. 
The prices vary with the different man- 
ufacturers. A tank 30 inches in diameter 
and 10 feet long, which would supply the 
needs of a family of five, is listed at from 
$101 to $138 (subject to discount). The 
expense for repairs to an outfit like this is 
very slight and the time required for 
pumping varies with the power used. 
Neighbors can frequently combine and 
put in one large plant for supplying water 
to several houses. This decreases the cost 
to the individual and gives a greater 
pressure in case of fire. The greater the 
horizontal distance the water is carried, 
the larger the pipes should be to lessen 
the loss of pressure by friction. 
Power Available 
What will be the most convenient and 
economical means of forcing water into 
the storage tank depends upon the situa- 
tion in each case. The source of the sup- 
ply, the amount required, the need of 
power for other purposes, the available 
fuel, and the cost of labor will all have 
a bearing on the matter. The hydraulic 
ram and the windmill have the advantage 
of operation without fuel, but the ram re- 
quires at least 18 inches of waterfall, 
while with the windmill the daily supply 
of water is not always subject to control. 
The gas or hot-air engine requires fuel 
and attendance, but the supply is more 
easily regulated. 
The Hydraulic Ram 
The hydraulic ram can be used to fill 
the storage tanks if the source of supply 
is a spring, flowing well, or running 
stream from which enough fall to supply 
the power can be obtained. Its use is 
practicable with a fall of only 18 inches, 
2—~19 
945 
but with greater heads water can be 
forced to higher elevations and to longer 
distances. The head can be increased by 
damming the stream or by sinking the 
ram into a pit, if a drain can be 
secured to keep the pit free from water. 
The relation between the height of 
the spring, or source of supply, above the 
ram and the elevation to which the water 
is to be delivered determines the propor- 
tion of water raised to water wasted. It 
is not economy to increase the fall more 
than is necessary to supply the required 
amount of water, as the durability of the 
ram will be lessened. The amount of 
water procured by means of a ram from 
a very small fall makes a good supply be- 
cause the ram is always going. 
Windmills 
The cost of installing a windmill will 
depend upon the depth and character of 
the well and its distance from the house 
and barns, upon the height of the tower, 
upon the elevation or pressure of the 
storage tank, and upon the amount of wa- 
ter required each day. These items vary 
so much with the individual cases that it 
is unsatisfactory to attempt to give even 
general figures. Any manufacturer of 
windmills will furnish an estimate upon 
application. 
Gas or Hot-Air Engines 
Small gas or hot-air engines are now 
manufactured for the express purpose of 
pumping water from cisterns, springs, or 
wells to elevated or pneumatic tanks to 
furnish supplies for houses and barns. 
One advantage of the engine over the hy- 
draulic ram or the windmill is that the 
water can be pumped when it is wanted, 
and the size of the storage tank can be 
more accurately determined. An engine 
can be selected which will burn any kind 
of fuel—natural gas, gasoline, kerosene, 
coal, or wood. Such engines do not re- 
quire an expert to run them, and, like the 
power windmill, can be used for driving 
other light machinery when not needed 
for pumping water. 
The arrangement of the pipes to carry 
the water is governed by the same con- 
ditions as when other power is used. No 
more elbows or sharp bends should be 
