100 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
A Cistern Filter. 
Mr. R. Morton, Allegheny Co., Pa., de¬ 
scribes a filter for a common cistern which 
he has made for his own use, and claims 
is simple, effective, and cannot get out of 
order. A cistern with the filter constructed 
and in use is shown in cross-section in figure 
1, made from Mr. M.’s sketch. In construct¬ 
ing the cistern and filter, Mr. M. writes : “ Dig 
a sub-bottom b, about 18 inches deep and 36 
inches wide ; brick and cement it as in other 
parts of the cistern. Set a section of 12-inch 
sewer pipe in the center of this sub-bottom, 
with bits of stone an inch thick at intervals 
for the pipe to rest on. A layer of 12 inches 
Fig. 1.— SECTION OF CISTERN WITH FILTER. 
of clean sand is put in the sub-bottom, both 
inside and outside of the pipe. Four inches 
of clean charcoal is put upon the sand, and 
the balance of the bottom is filled with gravel 
outside of the pipe, and with sand on the 
inside. Another piece of sewer pipe is placed 
on the top of the first one, and the joint 
cemented carefully. This second section may 
be a “reducer,” as shown in the engraving. 
The perpendicular walls of the filter should 
be built one brick higher than the floor of the 
cistern proper, that the sediment may not be 
drawn into the filter. The same end may be 
obtained by having the bottom of the cistern 
slope away from the filter, as shown in figure 
2. It will be seen that the water, in getting 
into the sewer pipe, must pass down through 
4 inches of coarse sand, or gravel; 4 inches 
of charcoal; 12 inches of sand, and up again 
through the same thickness of each material. 
The depth and arrangement of filtering ma¬ 
terial may be left somewhat to the judgment 
of the builder of the cistern. I know it will 
work well and insure perfect purification of 
the water. The material will not shift or 
get out of order for years. When sewer pipe 
are scarce, bricks can be used in their place.” 
Among the Farmers.—No. 62. 
BY ONE OF THEM. 
Some weeks ago I was requested by the 
Editor of the American Agriculturist to in¬ 
vestigate the way of putting up and deliver¬ 
ing milk, known as the “Lester Process,” in 
accordance with which I visited the milk pro¬ 
ducers in the vicinity of Hopewell, New Jer¬ 
sey. There I saw several farmers at milking 
time at evening, and the following morning 
do the milking and can the milk. It was 
drawn in the ordinary pails, and with the 
least possible delay strained into large pails 
or cans holding say 20 quarts, being poured 
through the common gauze-strainer in the 
pails into a Shaker flannel-strainer covering 
the large cans, and having then a temperature 
of 92 deg. Fahrenheit, or over. It was at once 
turned into glass cans, holding one quart each 
which, when full, were closed air-tight, with 
the perfect exclusion of the air, and con¬ 
siderable pressure upon the milk. The cans 
were then placed submerged in tubs of ice- 
water having a temperature of 42 to 45 degrees. 
When the tubs were filled the cans were re¬ 
moved to the transportation boxes and covered 
with broken ice. These boxes were water¬ 
tight, and in them the milk in the cans was 
maintained at a temperature of 40 to 45 de¬ 
grees, or thereabout, until they were finally 
closed for shipment. This took place daily at 
evening. The morning’s milk having re¬ 
mained in the boxes covered with broken ice 
until the evening’s milk could be shipped, 
when the ice was renewed if necessary. I 
examined it in the evening before shipment 
and found that fully ten per cent of the 
cream had risen upon it, that no perceptible 
shrinkage had taken place, but found that an 
actual shrinkage must have occurred because 
the can lids, which had been screwed down, 
were no longer so tight, though still air-tight. 
This was proved by the fact that an addi¬ 
tional turn or a part of a turn could be given 
to the screw, which it was important to do lest 
the lids should become still further loosened 
by rough handling or the motion in transit. 
I followed the milk the next day to the d 0 ” ot 
of the Company in Jersey City. Her. _ ^ouid 
not distinguish the morning from the evening- 
milk. The cream had risen and showed 
equally upon each. The flavor and general 
appearance of the milk was indistinguishable. 
The cream could be easily removed, the cans 
being cylindrical and not narrowed at all at 
the top. It might be either skimmed off or 
stirred into the milk, according to the pref¬ 
erence of the purchaser. 
I took a list of customers who were served 
daily with this milk, including all in certain 
streets, and visited them. They were, with 
great unanimity, very much in favor of the 
milk, approving the system of delivery, the 
can, and the quality of the milk. They gen¬ 
erally skimmed the can as soon as it was 
opened, used the cream for coffee and tea, 
and the milk for the children. Some showed 
a little caution about praising the milk too 
much before they were assured that the com¬ 
pany had no intention of raising the price 
above 10 cents a quart, at which price I leam 
it has been uniformly sold. 
I desire to add my conviction that the put¬ 
ting up of pure milk from cows properly fed, 
THE LESTER CAN. 
and air-tight, the air being totally excluded, 
as by the process witnessed and described, 
does not prevent the milk keeping sweet and 
wholesome several days. The milk must, of 
course, be free from the contamination inci¬ 
dent to dirty flanks, dirty milkers, and filthy 
stables, hot from the cow, canned so quickly 
after it is drawn that the natural heat has not 
time to escape. By this process it is impossible 
for the milk to churn during transportation. 
Every one familiar with the transportation 
of milk must regard this as mi entirely new 
departure. If I had not 
had ample demonstration 
of the success of the plan, 
I would have seriously 
doubted the possibility of 
keeping milk untainted if 
closed up hot. Every prac¬ 
tical man would have said 
“It will surely smother.” 
That it does not seems to 
be proof positive that 
“animal heat” is not 
different from heat from any other source. 
Like other inventors, Mr. Lester has found 
his path beset by difficulties. He has been 
for years laboring to establish the principles 
involved, and made practically useful in his 
can. This is a cylinder about as broad as 
high, of strong “glass, with a cover capping 
it perfectly, and provided with a rubber ring 
which clings to it under the flange seen in 
the engraving. Through the center of the 
cover there is a small hole which is covered 
by a rubber air cushion, that is forced 
down with great power by a screw, working 
in the bail which clasps the can at any point 
of the bottom. The can is easily cleansed, 
as are also the cover, rubber, and bail. 
Our Orloff Fillies. 
I have had occasion to say a few words 
now and then about our Orloff fillies. 
They are now two and three-year-old sum¬ 
mer colts. We hitched them up, and drove 
them single and double without “break¬ 
ing.” It required only a little coaxing, 
and extreme deliberation the first and 
second time they were hitched up. It may 
be so with all colts that are trained thus early 
in life, but it is new to me. I have one, not 
an Orloff, coming fom;, “Roxy,” thoroughly 
well broken to go single or double or under 
the saddle, and she goes like an old horse, 
though playful and coltish in her feelings. 
She is rather large and strong, yet I let my 
•wife drive her all about. The three-year-old 
Orloff was more easily accustomed to the 
harness than she, and apparently enjoys the 
sleighing as much as we do. Yet we are very 
careful not to use her too much. 
The Question of Shoeing: 
came up when we began to use the colts. 
They were taken out of a rough, stony, 
mountain pasture, and their feet were worn 
down quite small. I was afraid they would 
soon go lame on our gravelly roads, but they 
did not, and so were not shod until ice came. 
Then I was afraid to trust them without 
calks, and so had them shod. 
The first result of the shoeing was that 
“ Roxy ” “forged ” terribly, that is, she s track 
her hind foot into the hollow of the fore foot 
on the same side, just as it was feeing lifted 
off the ground. We heard not only the thud 
of the hoof striking, but the loud click of 
the shoes. I had her forward shoes taken 
off, and according to the advice of a veteri- 
