212 The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
All Sorts 
A Chemical Skunk 
A few months ago travelers in the New 
York subways were obliged to face an 
odor which nearly drove them away from 
home. It was new to most city people, 
but those who knew farm life quickly 
identified it as the master product of a 
remarkably vigorous skunk—or an entire 
family of skunks. Search was made 
through the subway, but no skunks were 
found, and it is now supposed that some 
practical joker from a chemists labora¬ 
tory had been at his tricks. Dr. R. W. 
Wood is quoted as showing the possibil- 
ties of the chemical skunk: 
The chemical butyl mercaptan, Dr. 
Wood says, is an organic compound of 
the odoriferous material secreted by the 
skunk and can be made synthetically iu 
the laboratory. This chemical, he said, 
was identical with the secretion from the 
skunk and would produce an odor as pow¬ 
erful as that of 50 or more skunks. 
The material. Dr. Wood explained, was 
made in large quantities in this country 
during the war by the Chemical Warfare 
Service for use in France. Some chem¬ 
ist. he said, or some practical joker, must 
have obtained a bottle of the chemical and 
thrown it into the subway. 
Butyl mercaptan has no odor whatever 
when it is concentrated, Dr. Wood says, 
and it is only when it is diluted or when 
one is far away from it. that it can be 
noticed. 
“A man may be experimenting with it 
in the laboratory,” lie said, "and may not 
notice the odor. Persons in tile same 
room with him will not detect the smell 
either. But those working in other parts 
of the buildiug will be almost overcome. 
This is due to the fact that in its con¬ 
centrated form this chemical exerts a par¬ 
alyzing effect on those nerves which ‘de¬ 
tect smell.” 
Does Mississippi River Flow Uphill? 
“Does Mississippi River flow up¬ 
hill?" is frequently the subject of school 
debates, and such debates usually arise 
from inaccurate or indefinite uses of the 
terms “uphill" and "downhill." 
In answer to a correspondent who re¬ 
cently made this inquiry, the United 
States Geological Survey sent the follow¬ 
ing reply : Some people describe “down" 
or “at a lower elevation." when referring 
to two localities, as the one nearer the 
center of the earth, and consider the 
“upper" of the two as tlu* one farther 
from the center. If only a small area is 
considered this is practically true, hut iu 
referring to widely separated localities, 
such ns the source and the mouth of the 
Mississippi River, sueh a definition would 
lead to an absurdity and must therefore 
be incorrect 
The surface of water at rest is a level 
surface, ns that phrase is usually under¬ 
stood. Any particle of matter above sueh 
a surface will be at a higher elevation, 
and if noted on by natural forces alone 
will tend to go down toward the water. 
Mean sea level is the surface generally ac¬ 
cepted as the datum or reference plane for 
all topographic elevations.. 
The source of the Mississippi River Is 
about 1,500 ft. above mean sen level. 
Therefore, the unrestrained water at the 
source of the river, under the action of 
natural forces, tends to go down to sen 
level at the river's month. 
As the equatorial radius of the earth is 
about 13 miles greater than the polar ra¬ 
dius, and as the intermediate radii differ 
in length between these limits, and as the 
source of the Mississippi is nearly 10 de¬ 
grees of latitude farther north than its 
mouth, it follows that the mouth of the 
river is about four miles farther from the 
center of the earth than its source. The 
combined effect of gravity and centrifugal 
force makes the water of the river run 
downhill, although actually the water 
moves away from the center of the earth 
in doing so. 
Substitute for Flag-bottomed Chair 
i notice the inquiry about, “flag bot¬ 
tomed" chairs. My grandfather was a 
chairmaker for 40 years for a community 
in New York State, lie would take tin* 
material just as it came from the sawmill 
and work it up into proper shape on his 
own lathe for the frames of the chairs. 
(I still have Some of his tools, which I 
prize highly.) Many times have I gone 
with him when I was a boy to cut the 
flags. And how many Winter evenings I 
have watched him as he deftly wove in 
those handsome and durable seals. 
After a lapse of many years I returned 
to this community, and among the things 
for which I sought were some of these 
flag bottomed chairs made by my grand¬ 
father. After much search I found some, 
but the scats were badly dilapidated; 
however, I brought them to my home in 
Massachusetts. Tn cutting out the old 
seats preparatory to having something re- 
place them, it occurred to me that I could 
do it myself, and I am quite sure I could, 
hut the time to he involved was more than 
I could spare, so I did this, with very sat¬ 
isfactory results, and, when painted, one 
would scarcely know the difference: I 
took cord of suitable size and wove it 
back and forth, after the regular pattern 
of the flag seat, and after a little time 
found it easy and quite fascinating. After 
the cords are put in it is well to stuff 
from the under side with old rags. Hope 
this will he of value to some of your read¬ 
ers. II. G. B. 
Massachusetts. 
High and Low World Points 
The United States Geological Survey 
gives the following facts regarding the 
highest and lowest points in the world: 
The difference between the highest and 
lowest points of laud iu the United States 
is 14,777 ft., according to (he United 
States Geological Survey, Department of 
the Interior. Mount Whitney, the high¬ 
est point, is 14,501 feet above sea level, 
and in Death Valley there is a depression 
that lies 270 ft. below sen level. These 
two points, which are both in California, 
are less than IK) miles apart. This dif¬ 
ference in height, is small, however, as 
compared with the difference in the height 
and depth of land in Asia. Mount Ever¬ 
est. riaes 29,002 ft. above sea level, where¬ 
as the shores of the Dead Sea lie 1,290 ft. 
helow sen level, a total difference in height 
of 30.292 ft. Mount Everest has never 
been climbed. 
The greatest depth yet found in any 
ocean is 32,OSS ft., the depth at a point 
about 40 miles north of the island of 
Mindanao, in the Philippine Islands. The 
bottom of the sea at this point is there¬ 
fore more than 11% miles below the sum¬ 
mit Of Mount Everest. 
Mending a Stone Jar 
On page 110(5 Mrs. .T. R. S, complains 
that her stone jar, used for salting and 
storing meat, has developed a crack near 
the bottom, and she asks how the jar may 
be repaired. If she will take a small 
chisel and cut the glazing away front the 
crack in such a manner as to leave a 
deep channel, and then drain water again 
and again through the enlarged crevice, 
until the water shows no sign of salt, 
then dry perfectly, till the crevice with 
putty which has been worked t.» the right 
consistency, and then glaze the nutty with 
the flame from a gasoline torch, site will 
have no trouble with the leaking of the 
jar. The drying may be greatly facili¬ 
tated by filling the crevice with dry Port¬ 
land cement, and brushing the channel 
dry as soon as the cement shows any 
signs of moisture, repeating this opera¬ 
tion until the cement can remain per¬ 
fectly dry for 24 hours. 
It may be that the litharge and glycer¬ 
in?, or the silicate of soda, as recom¬ 
mended, will he equally effective, possibly 
more so. I cannot say as to that. But 
I do know that the putty will do the 
trick, for I have two large jars that were 
mended in this manner some 12 years 
ago. One is used for storing salted cab¬ 
bage and the other for pickles, and 
neither has shown any signs of leaking 
since having been repaired. To all in¬ 
tents and purposes they are as good as 
new. c. o. OKMSHEK. 
Preserving Bags for Shipping Peat 
I low cun I keep the bags in which 1 
am shipping swamp muck from rotting on 
the way to the purchaser? r. a. n. 
Fishkill, N. Y. 
We are of I lie opinion that you are 
asking an impossibility, What, you are 
shipping is, essentially, a germ culture 
which rots vegetable matter, cellulose, 
and makes it available to lire plants. 
That is the value of this swamp humus; 
it makes other humus avnilahle quickly. 
Now you are shipping iu bags which are 
simply a form of cellulose, and a rather 
easily attacked sort at that, and you are 
asking your germs to kindly suspend 
their activity while on route, and then 
buck up and get on the job when they 
are again in a field. Naturally they will 
not do this. 
Your only hope is to protect the cellu¬ 
lose from them, and it will he too ex¬ 
pensive. Soaking the bags in crude oil 
in which some cheap paraffin or tar resi¬ 
due is dissolved will help a whole lot, but 
will so greatly increase your fire risks 
that you may get into trouble with the 
freight agents. Soaking in alum solution 
would help, for a time, hut it would not 
take long for the effect to wear off. Dry 
the muck and you keep it, but lessen its 
efficiency. It looks as if your problem 
was insoluble, within the limits of ex¬ 
pense. 
Concrete Back Log 
Can a concrete back log bo made that 
will stand the heat? I want one 10 or 
12 in. in diameter, and 2 ft. long. Can 
a hollow vine he made, say 4-in. shell, for 
convenience? s. J. F. 
Augusta, W. Ya. 
There seems to Ik some confiiction in 
reports regarding durability of concrete 
when used in contact with lire. Some re¬ 
ports indicate a long life and others fail¬ 
ure. It is probable that when failure oc¬ 
curs if is due to cracking caused by con¬ 
tinued expansion and contraction caused 
by excessive temperature changes. Con¬ 
crete. when made of the proper material, 
contains nothing that fire can injure, ex¬ 
cept mechanically, an example of possible 
injury being the cracking already men¬ 
tioned. 
As an experiment a back log might be 
made using clinkers sifted from coal 
ashes in place of stone in the mixture. 
Where stone is used il may he of .such 
nature as limestone, that lire or rather 
heat will change it. ('linkers being the 
material left after exposure to high heat 
will give no further trouble from this 
cause. It is improbable, however, that it 
would give you satisfaction from a heat¬ 
ing standpoint, if satisfactory otherwise. 
The glowing back log throws Out an im¬ 
mense amount of heat. A material not 
combustible itsell would fail to do this. 
Poison Ivy 
In regard to the poisoning of stock by 
poison ivy, it seems to me that Dr, Alex¬ 
ander is safe in his statement that such 
cases are “comparatively rare,’ and I 
should surely omit the “comparatively.” 
For over 30 years I have kept from five 
to 10 cows, besides other stock, and these 
cows have been driven every night and 
morning along a road where plenty of 
poison ivy adorns the fences. I have seen 
these cows cut the plant freely and re¬ 
peatedly. also have seen m.v other stock 
and neighbor’s cattle eat it. but in 30 
years have never seen or known a case 
of poisoning. The relative susceptibility 
of individuals to ivy poisoning seems often 
to vary from time to time. M,v own case 
is the reverse of that of Mr. Betts, page 
1010, in that 10 years ago 1 was quite 
susceptible, while now I am nearly im¬ 
mune. I can now pass through the plant 
or handle it lightly without feeling any 
effect. It occurs to me that if I hail 
eaten the plant at some Intermediate time 
it would lie easy to attribute my present 
immunity to this “cure." e. B. llAKGEll, 
Connecticut, 
Alder Bushes 
On page 990 II. L. I,, asks how to kill 
out alder bushes. As alders grow in 
clumps, the writer prefers to pull them 
out rather than cut them and leave the 
roots in the ground. To do this work a 
chain may he placed around the dump 
about four feet above the ground. Attach 
a team of horses to the chain, and let the 
team pull out the clump. If I lie chain 
slips on the hushes wind it twice around 
the clump. If the clump starts too hard 
have an extra man clip the roots on the 
opposite side just as the team "is doing 
February 11, 1022 
its best," and the clump will come out 
root and branch. If the ground is too 
soft where the bushes are have the chain 
long enough to reach the team on hard 
land. A chain as light may be. and still 
strong enough to stand the strain is pre¬ 
ferable to a heavy chain, as it is more 
easily handled. u gorge e. stone. 
Vermont. 
An Inexpensive Concrete Walk 
Let me add a supplement to the article 
on "How to Make a Concrete Walk," on 
page 1371. For homes on farms and in 
country villages, walks or paths may be 
made in a simple way. and be just as 
durable, A trench 30 in. wide, 3 ill. deep, 
filled with a 1-3(5 concrete will answer, 
and if I lie shorn or gravel is not top large 
no top finish is necessary. Such a path 
200 yds. long on the west side of a hill 
has been used nine years, and there is not 
a crack in il, all hough there are no ex¬ 
pansion joints. Wherever there is a good 
foundation, a 1 :3 cement mortar mav fie 
laid 1 in. to 1 % in. thick ,,ri the bottom, 
poultry wire placed on this and covered. 
hi. with mortar. The top coat 
should he roughened with a bunch of twigs 
H there is any grade. j. l. wood. 
' irgima. 
Curing Leaky Tank 
f read on page 1114 of trouble in get¬ 
ting wooden tanks tight. I have had ex¬ 
perience in that line for 20 years or more. 
I can take a tank with ' i -inch cracks 
fietw-Mi the Staves ami pump it right full. 
All you have to do is to gel on top of the 
tank with a bucket or two of near dry 
spruce or white pine sawdust, and keep a 
ring of it floating around the edge of 
t ank while pump is going to do I he filling. 
Alter Unit you want to keep the lop of 
lank full to keep it from shrinking again. 
Aiwer let the water get low, as the staves 
will shrink and leak. I used one 5(100- 
gallon tank until the 2-irich staves were 
rotted more than half through, r bought 
another tank which I started in the same 
way, T always put my pump plunger 
below_ the water: it is always primed, 
even if valve does leak, and .1 always 
pump over top of tank and let water fall, 
and it cannot syphon out. c. t. p. 
New Jersey. 
Installing an Electric Light Plant 
I am about to install electric lights on 
my farm. I have four cottages and use 
them for boarding. They consist of four, 
six and 15 rooms, T would need about 
<■> lights, but 1 do not know what kind of 
a plant to instill. We have in this town 
different service stations. Which would 
be preferable? j. k. 
Flcisehmanns, N. Y. 
Yon would probably be taking little risk 
in installing any of the well-known makes 
of electric lighting plants, as these give 
very satisfactory service when properly 
taken care of. It would be impossible to 
say which one might give you the least 
trouble, that depending more upon your 
attention to the needs of the plant than 
anything else. Do not let any claims on 
the part of the makers that their plants 
are trouble-proof or wholly automatic in 
operation deceive you into thinking that 
any more or less complicated mechanism 
can run indefinitely without intelligent 
oversight and care. I do not think that 
you will he taking an undue risk .if you 
purchase a plant of any well-established 
manufacturing company of good reputa¬ 
tion, and I should lie guided more by the 
standing of the manufacturers than liy 
the representations of the agents in such 
a purchase. M. b. d. 
Hanging a Grindstone 
In reply to the request of XV. E. XV. on 
page (IS for grindstone bunging, will de¬ 
scribe one that I recently used. Take 
shaft 1% in. to the blacksmith and have 
him square i't for about <5 in., where lie 
wishes to fasten stone. Also get four 
pieces of steel Vj. (5 in. long; drill 
imle % in. from each end and tap to take 
set screw %xl VS ■ Place shaft in stone 
with one of the 0-in. pieces on each side 
of shaft, tighten, set to true stone on 
shaft. Directions for turning stone are 
correct, hut stone should he turned to¬ 
ward you as you work ; pipe also needs 
turning to keep a sharp edge for work. 
New York. b. n, colby. 
Chemical Closet 
Can the disinfectant used in chemical 
closets he made at home? w. J. b. 
Great Barrington, Mass, 
We do not know exactly what may bo 
used in the stuff you now have, but the 
general principle of many of these is 
simply a strong solution or soda lye cov¬ 
ered by a layer of mineral oil. Try get¬ 
ting a can of lye; most grocers keep a 
domestic size, for soap-making, and dis¬ 
solving the contents in a gallon of water, 
putting it in the tank ami pouring on it 
enough machine oil (used auto oil or 
tractor oil will be as good as any, if fairly 
free from gasoline I, to make a layer a 
quarter of an inch deep. If this solution 
seems too weak, use more lye; if too 
strong, less. The oil does nothing but 
retain odor. Usually some aromatic is 
added to the stuff you get in a bottle, but 
it is only for the moral effect; the lye 
does the sterilizing. The less liquid added 
after the tank is prepared the longer it 
will last. 
