Wh RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1443 
Simple Science 
By Dr. F. D. Crane 
The Earth’s Rotation 
Does the earth vary in its rotation so 
that the sun sets farther south on a 
given date one year than another? 
'Schuylerville, N. Y. a. b. it. 
Xo, the earth is a pretty steady-going 
old fellow, who gets around the sun just 
about the same time each year, aud has 
been doiug it for a long, long time. But 
he picks out a rather annoying length of 
time in which to do it, in round numbers 
365*4 days, and even that quarter is not 
quite exact. The result is that the cal¬ 
endar year is nearly always a little bit 
off. Every four years we add those quar¬ 
ters all in a buneh and call it leap year, 
and even then we are just a bit over, so 
that we do not add days on the centuries 
unless they divide by 4<M>. So, you see, 
it is quite possible for the sun to set at 
a slightly different spot by the calendar 
one year after another, but if you will 
watch for four years, or. better, 400, you 
will observe that the calendar fits in with 
the sun pretty close. 
Distillate from Potatoes 
I have some unsalable potatoes. Can 
they be made into distillate? F. w. 
Weatherly, Pa. 
They can. hut you can't. By the time 
you had gone through all the red tape 
which is uow required to set up a private 
still, your s^uds would be past hope. 
The yield is fair, but even if you get the 
alcohol, your carburetors would have to 
he reset to use it. and we cannot en¬ 
courage you to go it alone. If you could 
ger up a community alcohol factory, and 
there are plenty of excess potatoes, there 
is some ehauee of getting somewhere, but 
even then vou must bear in mind that 
the potatoes raised for aleohoi in the 
north of Europe are a special, coarse 
breed. 
A Glue Substitute 
How can I make a substitute for glue? 
Waynesboro, Va. c. E. b. 
There is no substitute for glue, but 
there are several other things which work 
as well or better for some purposes. If 
you will tell us more fully what you want 
to glue, we may be able to help you. 
Asphalt Roofing Paint 
How can I make asphalt roofing paint 
out of asphalt pitch? j. K. J. 
Ontario. Canada. 
This is one of the cases where we can¬ 
not encourage you to go ahead. It is true 
that the pitch, in bulk, sells for less than 
the finished paint, but if you consider 
that there are other things besides solvents 
added, things which act to make the 
paint more flexible aud heat and cold- 
resisting. and also things which act as 
driers, and that to mix these things re¬ 
quires heavy machinery and steam-jacketed 
kettles, you will see that it is no small job. 
But even if you could make a sort of 
paint by merely thinning the asphalt, you 
would not have a satisfactory article in 
the long run. Then. too. there i* the 
constant danger of a bad fire. We think 
your best plan is to get together, through 
a farmers’ club, or something <>f that sort, 
enough orders to make a bulk shipment, 
and then see if you cannot get a more at¬ 
tractive price. It is small shipments, 
handling and carrying stock, that add so 
much to the cost of many of the little 
things used on a farm. As we see it. the 
only cheap way out is by co-operative 
buying aud shipping. 
Insulation for Goiter 
I have a house-lieu ting boiler from 
which the insulated covering is peeling off. 
Can I use if over again, or how can I re¬ 
cover the boiler? j. n. d. 
Hollisfon, Mass. 
Material usually called “magnesia.” 
and perhaps containing more or less of 
it. comes in the dry form by the pound, 
and needs only to lie made into a thick 
mud with water -and plastered on. The 
boiler should be cool, but need nor be on- 
rirelv cold. On warming up. the water 
dries out and the white tnud remains. 
The writer has repeatedly reapplied the 
coating, which was removed for various 
reasons, and it works all right several 
times over, a little new stuff being added 
each time, but it is possible that your 
material is not the same. A trial should 
soon tell you. The entirely new mate¬ 
rial is not very expensive, and it cer¬ 
tainly pays to cover the boiler with some 
such stuff. The pipes should also be 
covered, but there is a regular corru¬ 
gated covering made for that purpose. 
Recharging Flashlight Batteries 
Can I refill flashlight batteries, and if 
so. how? F. ii. 
Kenton, Del. 
Xo, they cannot be recharged. Once 
worn out. they are of no value, except 
for scrap. The reason is that the power 
really comes from the chemicals used iu 
them, and to replace these is beyond the 
amateur. 
This is the fourth of a series of advertise¬ 
ments on the making of better orchards. 
Reprints of the first three—'The Ad¬ 
vantages of Fall Spraying’, "Fall Spray 
ing Best for San Jose Scale '’ and "Now 
Is Best Time To Control Pear Psylta" 
—will be sent to you upon request 
The fifth, discussing Tree In-vigoration. 
will appear next month. 
‘ December, 1922 
Canker healing up — 
drawn from photograph 
Control Blight Cankers by Spraying 
W E GUA Rs4NTEE that, if you will divide an orchard, your worst or best, in 
two parts equal in general condition, and for three years spray one part -with 
SCALECIDE according to our directions and the other part with lime-sulphur, giving 
the same summer treatment to both parts, the part sprayed "with SCALECIDE will 
be better than the part sprayed with lime-sulphur—tn the judgment of three disinterest¬ 
ed fruit grerwers—or we -will refund the money you have paid for the SCALECIDE. 
It your dealer doesn’t carry SCALECIDE, show him this advertisement—or order direct from us. 
In any event, write today for the new'booklet, “Why SCALECIDE”. We will send you also “Spray¬ 
ing the Home Garden”, which is considered one of the most helpful treatises extant on the control 
of insects and diseases that attack trees, shrubs, vines, flowers and vegetables. Address Dep’t 16 . 
B. G. PRATT CO. 50 Church Street NEW YORK CITY 
674 \ 
West Ave. 
Rochester, N. Y 
' Rochester 
Fur Dressing Co, 
Skinner Hydraulic 
Barrel Heading Press 
• An improved, prac- 
tical press that does 
unusually good 
work. Run by indi- 
J vidual motor drive, 
; or belt drive. Valves 
I are rotary type, 
I practically wear- 
i 11 proof. Pump con¬ 
sumes no power ex¬ 
cept when pressing 
_IN head into barrel. 
^ • Other good points 
a PP eft l *° busy 
men. Write us for 
fuller description. 
Skinner Machinery Company 
Eighth Street, Dunedin, Floridt 
BUY FROM WHOLESALER DIRECT 
ICOFFEE 
In 5-lb. lots AQ ft Bean 
or more lb, Gro°und 
Sent Pwrccl l*o«t Prepaid on receipt of your 
t'fceck. Money Order or OmaIi. 
Sxt inf Action Guaranteed or Money Back 
GILLIES COFFEE CO. k.,. h 
28M5ft H anltlng-ton Street, New York Oil 
PI umbinq-Pipe-Fi+tinqs 
ip_ ... ^ m 
i 9 
Wholesale Prices 
We save you 20 to 35 per cent 
on all standard water or steam 
pipe and fittings. Wepay freight 
to your R. K. station and guar¬ 
antee satisfaction. 
Save yourself money on 
plumbing supplies, water sys¬ 
tems. gasoline engines, roofing, 
pulleys, belting and machine 
tools. We save money bycutting 
out in-between profit and book¬ 
keeping, You get that saving.' 
Get our catalog and prices now. 
SMYTH-DESPARD CO. 
801 Broad Street Utica, N. Y.' 
WE TAN THEM - YOU WEAR THEM 
Your own HORSE and COW Hides 
OTYI.ISU carraenU. warm jr 
X O *n,l durable. mad,, to X 
X order from BOUSE, COW / 
or fur bearing animals 
C,loves and cops from the 
NVH \ -run • /■V T 
\ We tan them- J vk 
you wear them J Mmk 
MnBpAJ fur nr ■ nt. „n ! I 
X i> oil 
|3m A UM 3i i . i 11 u i'(,t i. I 
9NV 4 I i 
y, i raH 
K*7jg - \ 0539, 
By v \ e£ 
WBF r tnifiu'turni.' . rni \B 
Vltaei/ 
Costs yo 
L without i 
with Ve* 
L- ", 
mh\ 
Cr~ i^«J — nLikes 
he aeiviMT* <a» h*nti *. -3 as 
l»bw*tf t. 3iir»u-^t In 
Arinct^kf— ffwot ph.rts. 
Casily set up. *-tion 
circulars Dealer* wanted. 
CHEMICAL TOILET CORP. 
2622 S. Saline Street 
Syracuse. H. V. 
.ti» San-Etju-v Ssruir TbnJt/or uafer 
r.'.w*l Complete ronitolion /or un~ 
.su'sred district*. 
■ • MAKt » 1101.1. IK O II Of It. SELL 11EMIET8 
MtCfllS a patent patch for instantly mending leaks 
O ill all u t e n si 1 s. Sample p a c k a g e free. 
COLLETTE MFU. CO..I».pt. «0», Amsterdam, S.Y. 
CALIFORNIA STATE LAN MS-—The State Land 
Board of California tins for sale S7 irrigated 
farms at Ballico, near Merced, in San Joaquin 
Valley, on main line Santa Fe Railway. The 
State makes it possible for you to own <in>- of 
these farms, only requiring r> per “Tit of pur¬ 
chase price, remainder remaining iu semi-annual 
installments extending over 3H-j years writ 5 
per cent interest annually. Here is an oppor¬ 
tunity to become a borne owner on terms as 
favorable a9 renting, it will lie a long time 
before any more land will be available under 
such generous provisions. Money advanced on 
improvements and dairy sto-k. Those already 
located very enthusiastic: you can farm all year 
In California: nil deciduous fruits profitably 
grown: alfalfa a paying crop, ideal condi¬ 
tions for stock and poultry many persons long 
some day to make their homes In California, 
with its wlntertrss climate, pteury of sunshine, 
seashore and mountains, fertile valleys, paved 
highways, very efficient marketing, excellent 
sell..nls. State Board's pamphlet also Santa Fe 
folder, describing San Joaquin Valley mailed 
C I SEAORAVES General 
Colonization Agent. Santa Fe. *.LY2 Railway Ex¬ 
change. Chicago. Ills. 
“SUNNY r SOUTHERN JERSEY” 
Farming in the California <<C the East " is both ptofit- 
ablev.id pleasant mild donate, pr >,luctive soil, long 
growing season, line markets, ties, Phic, lelphia aud At¬ 
lantic City, illlis, earning describes -inipiKsd farms. 
Sl.lWD up, on terms. FREK copv New Jersev Farm 
Agency, 30SRX R. E. Triul Bltlft.. Philadelphia, Pa. 
FOR SALE— WtiolmU A Retail FEED. FLOUR MILL 
doing $200.(100 yearly: $20,000: water power. V* cash. 
HARRY VAIL - Warwick, New York 
IVhen you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you 7/ get a 
quick reply and a “square deal, “ See guarantee editorial page. 
