7ht RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
927 
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Farm Mechanics 
Conducted by Robert H. Smith, of the Canton Agricultural School 
Canton, New York 
Limitations of Siphon 
Can I make a siphon to lift the water 
from a running spring up 40 ft, overhead 
to level of land? I wish to pipe water 
•100 ft., nearly level, a drop of about 2 ft. 
The garden is fertile, and produces 
abundantly vegetables for market, and 
the spring is heavy running living water, 
so I would like to make use of both. 
Lambert, Mont, d. l. 
It would be impossible for you to use 
a siphon in this case. The action of a 
siphon is dependent upon atmospheric 
pressure. This is but 14.7 lbs. per square 
inch, a weight or pressure only sufficient 
to support a column of water 24 ft. in 
height. In your case it would lack by 
several feet reaching the top of the bluff. 
Tu practice it is seldom that- a siphon 
should be put in with a lift greater than 
20 ft., or about half what, you have. 
Presumably you wish this water for irri¬ 
gation in your garden. Tf so, you can 
place a pump at the spring, which can be 
operated either by a gasoline engine or 
windmill, pumping the water up to the 
place of use. A siphon is out of the ques¬ 
tion. 
Gasoline Engine; Auto Gears; Size of 
Henhouse 
1. What is a gasoline engine? 2. What 
is the difference between a “selective 
type” and "progressive type” gear on on 
automobile? 2. Would a building 30 ft. 
long, 12 ft. wide and 10 ft. high in front, 
with a roof slant of 2 ft., be large enough 
to keep 100 heus? j. j. M. 
Clemons, N. Y. 
1. A gasoline engine is a prime mover, 
consisting essentially of a tight, compart¬ 
ment called the cylinder, in which a gas- 
tight partition, called the piston, is free 
to slide to and fro. The piston is con¬ 
nected to a crank and flywheels by a 
connecting rod by which the to and fro 
motion of the piston is transformed into 
rotary motion. In operation, liquid fuel 
(gasoline) is admitted behind the piston 
in an atomized condition, mixed with air. 
Tt is here compressed to about one-fifth of 
its original volume by the piston on its 
inward stroke and ignited by an electric 
spark. The heat resulting from the burn¬ 
ing mixture expands the gases com¬ 
pressed behind the piston and forces it 
outward, turning the flywheels through 
the agency of the connecting rod and 
making it capable of turning other ma¬ 
chines. This operation is kept up. the 
fresh gases being admitted and the 
burned gases exhausted i>y means of suit¬ 
able valves controlled automatically. Put¬ 
ting it briefly, a gasoline engine is an in¬ 
ternal combustion motor adapted to the 
burning of gasoline. 
2. In regard to the gear shift, prac¬ 
tically all of the cars of the present, that 
is, most makes, are equipped with a gear 
shift giving three speeds forward, and 
so arranged that gears can be shifted 
from “neutral" to any desired gear with¬ 
out running through the intervening gear 
positions. For example, the operator 
could shift from "low” directly to “high” 
if he wished with this type of gear, al¬ 
though it is seldom done. For this rea¬ 
son this type of gear shift Is called "se¬ 
lective” because it permits the selection 
of any. gear desired. With the "pro¬ 
gressive" type of shift the gears must be 
shifted through till the intervening posi¬ 
tions to reach ‘‘high." us. for example, 
“low." “intermediate" and “high.” For 
this reason this is called a "progressive” 
type of gear shift. 
2. Where hens are housed in large 
flocks, 25 to 50. from 2 to 4 sq. ft. of 
floor space are allowed per bird, depend¬ 
ing somewhat upon the breed. Applying 
this rule in estimating, the size suggest¬ 
ed by you will be about right. However, 
there is a tendency at the present time to 
make poultry bouses deeper than former¬ 
ly. because of the open fronts so gener¬ 
ally used. Why nor. make the house lflx 
22 and divide it into two pens? Heights 
of S ft. nud 0 ft. can be used respectively 
for the front and rear of the house if a 
paper or/Similar type roof is used. A 
shingle roof with so slight a pitch would 
leak. 
Creosote from Coal Stove 
I had some trouble with soot pitch 
this Winter for the first time in five years. 
By soot pitch 1 mean the liquid that 
forms in the stovepipe where it enters 
the chimney nil the third floor. The in¬ 
side of the stovepipe looks as if it were 
sweating, and this sweat forms into a 
black, sticky substance with a sooty 
smell. This substance, running down 
ilie stovepipe, drips off at the bends and 
joints, spoiling the ceiling floor, carpets, 
etc. We had fire all the time, and were 
burning coal. From tile stove the stove¬ 
pipe runs straight up for about 20 ft., 
lima bonds and runs over to the chimney 
5 ft. away, rising in this distance 1 ft. 
Some of our neighbors seem to have the 
same trouble, but nobody seems to know 
the cause of it. Along in January we 
noticed it first, and it seemed to grow 
worse all the time. T. F. n. 
New Tripoli, Pa. 
This trouble is very common when 
burning wood, but yours is the first corn- 
plaint that I have heard of this trouble 
when burning coal. The remedy in the 
case of wood is to give the fire a little 
more draft, keeping the smoke pipe warm 
enough to carry the moisture that, you 
speak of out. as vapor, and no doubt this 
would apply to the difficulty with ibe 
coal fire as well. Arrange the fire 
to check by the use of a damper within 
the pipe that closes and partially ob¬ 
structs the pipe rather than by using an 
opening into the pipe from the outside at 
the base. The latter method admits cold 
air to the pipe, cooling the interior and 
causes the condensation mentioned. Keep 
flip pipe as warm as possible controlling 
the fire as above described. In cases of 
this kind the piping is sometimes put 
together with the large end toward the 
chimney and then given a considerable 
slant back toward the stove. Some of 
the liquids will then run back along the 
pipe, instead of out at the joints. Also 
see that the pipe is clear as well as the 
chimney when making these changes. 
Repairing Leak in Spring 
I have a running spring made with 
stone wall, and it has a leak. It is a 
good spring, never failing. Do you think 
I can mend it with cement, and if so, 
would I have to keep the water out of 
the spring fur some length of time, or 
could I let the water rise in the spring 
right after the job is done? p. h. 
Honesdale, Ta. 
Ordinary Portland cement will harden 
under water as well as in air. Simply 
make a form to set in your spring which 
will leave at least 2 in., better more, 
between the form and the existing wall. 
Pump the water from the spring and 
mix up concrete in the proportion of one 
part cement, two parts clean, well-graded 
saml and four parts gravel. The gravel 
should be run over a ] 4'in. mesh screen, 
the portion passing the screen being used 
as sand, while that retained on the top 
of the screen is used as gravel, throwing 
nut anything over an inch in diameter 
because of thp thinness of the wall. A 
nice way to fix the spring is to use a 
sewer file for the form, and after de¬ 
positing concrete about, it leave it in 
place. This gives a smooth, impervious 
interior for the spring. If the flow of 
the spring is so great that it is difficult 
to pump the water out the concrete can 
he deposited under water by the use of 
a tube. The only precaution is to get 
it in place with as little disturbance as 
possible to proven the cement from being 
washed out of the concrete by the water 
before setting. Concrete for use in such 
a place should be mixed rather wet in¬ 
stead of dry. as one might think. 
Water Supply; Drainage Problem 
1. nave you any idea what size of water 
storage tank I would need to supply 
drinking cups for 10 cows, and provide a 
trickling stream enough to prevent freez¬ 
ing in 10 poultry pens for 12 hours a 
day? 2. T am bothered with a sewage 
problem, because springs under cellar ce¬ 
ment floor, adjoined to house sewer, give 
a small, constantly flowing stream of wa¬ 
ter. which. I am told, would destroy the 
proper action of a regular septic tank. 
East Aurora, N. Y. M. u. 
1. Regarding water supply for 10 cows 
and trickling fountains in 10 pens, .the 
fountains to be operated 12 hours, the fol¬ 
lowing estimate is given : 10 cows, 10 to 15 
gallons each daily. 150 gallons; 10 trick¬ 
ling fountains, flowing at (lie rate of one 
quart per minute each for 12 hours. 1.800 
gallons. This makes a total of 1.050 gal¬ 
lons daily, or 200 cubic feet, and would 
require n tank tixS.x5V> ft., such a tank 
having-a capacity of 204 cubic feet when 
filled. Tank should have slightly greater 
capacity than this to prevent overflow. 
If a cylindrical tank were desired, rather 
than the rectangular shape one. 8 ft. in 
diameter nud 5 >4 ft. deep will have ap¬ 
proximately the same capacity. If foun¬ 
tains can be placed iu pen partitions, 
each fountain thus serving two pens, but 
five will be required, and the water re¬ 
quirements for the henhouse will be cut 
to 000 gallons daily, a total of 1.030 gal¬ 
lons in all. This can be stored in a tank 
5x7x4 ft. Extra depth of a few inches 
should bo left, however, to prevent over¬ 
flow. 
2. With reference to the sewage dis¬ 
posal problem, a septic tank will not op¬ 
erate properly with so milch water flow¬ 
ing through it as you would get from 
your cellar drainage. The best way to 
handle the situation would be to pipe the 
house sewage to the tank and lead the 
cellar drainage water away by a sepa¬ 
rate line of tile. This, being clear water, 
can discharge anywhere without danger. 
"I onck possessed a splendid dog.” said 
Percy. “He could distinguish between a 
vagabond and a respectable person.” 
“What became of him?" asked Grace. 
“Oh, l was obliged to g : ve him away. 
He bit me.”—New York Globe. 
A Push of the Foot 
Controls this Plow 
Merely by a push of the foot you can control the John Deere- 
Syracuse Two-Way Plow so that the bottoms can do that good 
job of plowing for which Syracuse plow bottoms are noted. On 
hillsides, on level land, in.nooks and corners of irregular fields, 
around stones and other obstructions, good plowing is possible 
always with the 
JOHN DEERS 
SYRACUSE t ^ l °o£ ay 
BUILT IN THE EAST EOR THe EAJT 
The John Deere-Syracuse Two-Way 
Plow is equipped with one right and 
one left-hand bottom. Each bottom 
may be used alternately, and the 
plow operated back and forth across 
the field, throwing the soil all one way. 
With this plow you can throw all 
of the soil one way and do away with 
dead furrows and back ridges, where 
these are not desired. 
The Syracuse Two-Way is practi¬ 
cally self-operating. The patented 
Auto Foot Frame Shift, regulating 
width of furrow, is controlled by a 
slight pressure on the foot levers. 
The Clevis Shift and the Horse Lift 
are both automatic. 
And, remember, this plow is equip¬ 
ped with Syracuse bottoms—“good- 
work” insurance. 
If you have a typical Eastern 
farm, the Syracuse TwotWay is just 
the plow you need to fill your re¬ 
quirements. See it at your John 
Deere dealer’s store. 
FREE BOOKLET. Write today, address John Deere, Moline, Ill., for 
booklet describing the Syracuse Two-Way Plow. Ask for booklet Y7 37. 
.IQHNariYFFRF. 
THE TRADE MARK OF QUALITY MADE FAMOUS BY GOOD IMPLEMENTS 
CHAN6E POWER AS YOU CHARGE JOBS 
1% to 6 H. P. ‘ 
The one 
all farm 
Saves 
upkeep, 
Porta blf 
Busiest machine 
ou the farm. 
Wonderful value 
at less than pre¬ 
war price. Never was 
such an engine bargain. 
Direct from factory to you. Learn 
about this wonderful farm helper. 
Kerosene or gasoline. No cranking. 
Write for description and factory price. 
MOTOR CO., 212 Main St., Springfield, 0. 
EDWAEIS 
o 
hiOhiOhiOhiOhiOhiOhiOhiOhiOhiOhi|0 
The Billion Dollar Book—FREE 
T HE simple ideas laid down in this book would actually save the billion 
dollars wasted annually in our handling of manure. The best known 
authorities in the United States point the way to this saving and their 
ideas are fully explained and illustrated in the book. 
“Money in Manure” 
Your dealer lias a copy of this book or can get one for you. If not, write us 
direct for FREE copy. 
The Ohio Cultivator Co., 
Bellevue, Ohio 
It is our care¬ 
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niHCHii »■ hand¬ 
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enabled us to 
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Spreader such 
a practical, eco¬ 
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chine. 
rna- 
