1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
its full weight. The up-and-down motion carries the 
cuttings up, and mixes them with the water to the 
consistency of hatter. When the cuttings become 
mixed, the batter stiffens until the drill will no longer 
drop freely through it. The drill is then drawn out 
by means of the cable, and a “ sand pump’’ (a bucket 
made from pipe with a valve in the bottom) is lowered 
by a smaller rope. The drillings in the form of batter 
enter the sand pump at the bottom, and are drawn 
out. The operation is then repeated, deepening the 
well from two to four feet each run, until the well is 
finished. The drill is turned slightly about at each 
fall or stroke, in order to cut a perfectly i-ound hole, 
and thus prevent the drills from sticking. 
If caving ground is encountered, such as clay or quick¬ 
sand, a pipe, with an inside diameter of the same size 
as the drill, is driven down the well to shut off the 
caving materials. If these occur repeatedly, the driven 
pipe may become immovable, in which case, a smaller 
pipe is put inside the first one. In the oil district of 
western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where the 
wells run from 1,200 to 3,500 feet deep, the first pipe 
put in is sometimes as large as 15 inches, the next 12, 
the next 10, the next 81£, the next 6 the next 5, and 
the well is sometimes finished as small as 4 or even 
3 )4 inches. Each line of pipe reaches clear to the top. 
The two essential technical points in making wells 
with the drill are, 1 , the regulation of the tension of 
the cable while drilling ; and, 2 , the dressing of the 
drill bits, and tempering them. Both of these are 
best acquired by practice and seeing it done. 
Sec. Keystone Driller Co. B. w. downie. 
Value of a Gasoline Engine. 
C. P. 0., Lyman, N. H. —What horse-power gasoline engine 
woxxld be required to do the work of a two-horse tread power? 
Will a gasoline engine work outdoors in cold weather without 
trouble, or will gasoline freeze or become thick and not work ? 
Ans.—A fter using a gasoline engine for three years, 
I can recommend it vei-y highly. I had tried steam, 
tread and wind powers before buying the gasoline en¬ 
gine, but there were serious objections to them all; 
but after an experience of three years with the gaso¬ 
line engine, I have no fault to find with it in any way. 
It has never been out of order in all this time, sets 
anywhere in the barn, and there is no danger of fire ; 
it is ready to start at any moment without any sort of 
preparation, and gives a sti-ong, steady power, fully 
up to guaranteed horse power. A two-horse power 
gasoline engine will do more work than one can pos¬ 
sibly get out of a two-horse tx-ead power. As to its 
working in Winter, I have never had any trouble 
whatever, and have rxin it at all times during cold 
weather. An engine will perform all right as long as 
a man can stand it to work outdoors. One great 
beauty about this engine is that, when oiled and 
started, one doesn’t necessarily have to be about it or 
look after it, from morning till noon, or from noon 
till night, providing the gasoline tank is filled. In 
buying an engine for farm use, be sure to get it 
mounted, as it is much more convenient to move about, 
or from place to place, when on trucks. w. w. s. 
Making Most of Hydraulic Rams. 
J. S. D., Bechet, Mass. —We waut to put iu a ram for a water 
supply, but have a small flow. Our coudltious are, distance from 
spring, 425 feet; height above spring, 36 feet; fall, six feet; flow, 
one gallon or less per minute. 
ANSWERED BY J. C. SENDER, VIRGINIA. 
The situation, as I undei-stand it, without taking 
the points of the compass into considei-ation, is about 
as follows : Fig. 218. A, point of delivery ; B, spring ; 
C, hydraulic ram. AB, 425 feet distance to spring ; BC, 
80 feet, length of supply pipe that should be used to 
insure proper wox-king of the ram ; AD, 36 feet, per¬ 
pendicular height above the spring ; DE, equal to BO, 
six feet, height of spring above the ram. This need 
not be considered in the elevation, as the water will 
naturally rise to that elevation in the delivery pipe, 
without the aid of the ram. If at a distance of 80 feet 
from the spring, the fall is more than six feet, so much 
the better, as the greater the fall the more water will 
be raised in a given time. 
With the above data as our basis, there should be no 
trouble in getting a small ram to work well anil to 
deliver a goodly supply of water. I presume that J. 
S. D. understands that all the joints, and particularly 
those of the supply pipe, must be perfectly airtight, 
and that the ram must be set on a solid, level foxxnda- 
tion, and before freezing weather sets in, it must be 
surrounded by a small, frost-proof structure, px-efer- 
ably with double doors to facilitate ingress of man to 
the exclusion of cold. The manufacturers of rams 
usually furnish printed directions covering the most 
important points. 
How to secure the necessary water for motive power 
in the most expeditious manner, would be impossible 
for me to state, unless I were acquainted with the en¬ 
vironments of the spring ; but the following directions 
can be modified to suit any particular case. Not every¬ 
body is aware that many springs may have their sur¬ 
face raised several feet if precautions are taken to per¬ 
mit no egress of the water, either above or below its 
natural level. Such, however, is the case. Further¬ 
more, the volume of the water may generally be 
greatly augmented if we pxxt a “ bunghole ” instead of 
a “spigot” into the earth. The additional flow may 
not come immediately, but there is reasonable ground 
to expect it as soon as the subterranean stx-eams be¬ 
come aware of this ready exit. To secure this par¬ 
ticular bunghole, 1 would dig, and even blast if neces¬ 
sary, no less than three feet deep for a space suffi¬ 
ciently large, so that, when a well-cemented wall is 
laid aroixnd the spring, there will be a space of 
10x10x3 feet, forming a reservoir for 300 cubic feet, 
or 2,242.8 gallons of available water. The width of a 
brick would be sufficient for this wall if snugly packed 
with the material excavated. 
After the excavation is finished, the best “boil” 
shoxxld be noted, and at this point, I would go several 
feet deeper. The diameter of this additional depth 
should be as small as possible, just so the work can 
be done, as the water it will hold is not directly avail¬ 
able for motive power, being down too low for the fall 
at command. When the wall gets within two inches 
of the present level of the spring, the first length of 
supply pipe should be imbedded in the wall, permit¬ 
ting it to extend in about a foot. By firmly placing a 
pair of long clamps around the pipe so as to form a 
cross, at a short distance outside of the wall, these 
clamps can be weighted down so that the pipe cannot 
be twisted loose in the wall. Having secured this 
pipe, the wall shoxxld be raised at least a foot higher, 
and by giving the water a fair chance to rise, it will 
indicate whether anything can be gained by raising 
the wall still higher. Every foot that the surface of 
the water can be raised above the supply pipe, not 
only gives a reserve of 100 cubic feet of water, but also 
temporarily adds considerable force to the lifting 
power. 
But how are we to utilize the three feet of water be¬ 
low thesupply pipe, caxxse it to keep the ram in motion, 
A 
and even force a portion of itself from the level of the 
ram to the point of delivery many feet higher and 
hundreds of feet distant ? Fortunately, the seemingly 
impossible is our easiest task, as I have demonstx-ated 
by years of actual experience. Simply place an 
elbow on the end of the delivery pipe within the wall, 
and then add three feet of pipe with sti*ainer attached, 
allowing the latter to rest on the bottom on a slate or 
thin flat rock to prevent the powerful suction from 
drawing up mud or sand. We thus get a siphon with 
the longer arm near the ram, which will continue to 
work until the water gets so low that air can enter 
the strainer on the bottom. We thus overcome the 
laws of Nature in two ways. Where the water sixp- 
ply is limited, as in this case, mxxch good can be ac¬ 
complished by not giving the splash or drive valve its 
fxxll stroke. By regulating this, just so it will make 
its rebound at regular intervals, a given qxxantity of 
water may be made to operate the ram twice as long, 
which, in many instances, may mean continxially. 
Don’t expect the ram to work as soon as the water is 
turned on. The compressed air in the supply pipe 
must first be exhausted by pressing down the valve 
evei-y time it remains closed, allowing some water to 
escape with the air, and in a short time, the valve 
will click as regularly as the tick of a clock. 
Improving a Vegetable Cellar. 
C. E. S., Rockland, Mass .—How can I imp rove our vegetable cel¬ 
lar, 13x17 feet, which is partitioned off from the main cellar 
with seven-eighths-inch pine containing numerous cracks? The 
steam boiler is placed within 30 or 40 feet of this partition. Two 
windows, 2dx 9 inches, are in each end of the cellar, which is white¬ 
washed and securely fastened. It has a wood floor, six inches 
from the ground. In this cellar, we place our potatoes, and 
within a few weeks, we begin sprouting them, and keej> it up 
until the last. Would a cement floor be an improvement ? Would 
a double partition packed with sawdust help, too ? There 
is another such sized cellar under the barn wherein I place roots 
for the stock. Two walls are of stone, earthed above the ceiling 
line, ceiling double. The other two walls are double, well pointed 
with mortar. It has a single door. It’s a dark hole. The ceiling 
and walls soon begin to sweat after the roots are stored away. 
The floor is of earth, and damp; decay claims a goodly amount 
of roots. I was thinking of grouting—four to six inches—to keep 
out a muskrat. Can you suggest more ? 
Ans. —To improve the cellar under the house, a four- 
inch brick wall should be used to partition off the 
vegetable room, instead of the board partition now 
in use. The floor should be made of cement, and venti¬ 
lation should be provided by putting in more windows. 
The door into the vegetable room should be a solid 
plank door, or a double door would be even better. 
Any steam or hot-water pipes which may now run 
into the vegetable cellar should be placed elsewhere. 
The root cellar under the barn should be provided 
with a cement or grout floor, and then windows must 
be put in so that ventilation may be thorough. When 
481 
the large quantity of roots is put in the dark, close 
hole, they are warm, and sweat. The steam which 
arises from them mxxst have some means of escape. If 
it is not convenient to cut windows from this root 
cellar thx-ough the outer wall, it is possible that doors 
may be cut through from the barn floor above. These 
doors can then be opened, and the steam and vapor 
which arise from the roots will escape, and the mois¬ 
ture will not collect on the sides of the wall. L. A. c. 
How to Sow Crimson Clover. 
II. B. T., Beverly, W. Va .—I want to sow some Crimson clover 
seed in corn at the last working. How much seed per acre? How 
much fertilizer would you consider profitable to use, and favor a 
good catch ? 
Ans. —Twelve pounds of Crimson clover seed per 
acre make a fair seeding for the corn field. In corn 
land of good quality, no extra fertilizer would be 
needed to produce the clover, but it would, probably, 
pay to apply potash and phosphoric acid at this time. 
A mixture of one part of muriate of potash and four 
parts of dissolved phosphate rock, are about the right 
proportion for the Crimson clover ; 400 or 500 pounds 
of this mixture per acre broadcasted among corn at 
the time of seeding to clover, would increase the 
clover crop. Many farmers believe that the best time 
to apply potash and phosphoric acid is in this way, at 
the time of seeding to the clover. In this way, the 
clover works over the potash and phosphoric acid, and 
holds it in an available form for subsequent crops, 
and in the Spring, it is necessary to add only a small 
amount of nitrate of soda or other soluble niti-ogen in 
order to raise the following ex-op. The same theory 
holds good with cow peas. It is thought advisable to 
put the potash and phosphoric acid upon the cow-pea 
crop; then plow the whole thing xxnder, and use sol- 
xxble nitrogen alone, on the sixbseqxient cx-op. 
"Terra Fusus” for Preserving Fruit. 
S. CL, Racine, Pa.— Some time ago, while at the post office, I 
picked up a piece of a farm paper of some kind, and ou looking 
over it, I found an article in which some man was telling how he 
could preserve apples and such fruit by the use of Terra Fusus. 
He said that a package costing 11.25 will preserve 25 bushels, but 
if he gave particulars, they had been torn off. Can you tell me 
something about it ? What is Terra Fusus ? Is it harmless ? And 
how is it used ? The apples were preserved whole, kept till the 
following Spring till apples were high iu price, then sold. 
Ans. —The chances are that this Terra Fusus is com¬ 
mon sulphur, which is to be burned with the apples in 
some inclosed place. This is an old game played each 
Summer by some enterprising rogues who try to get 
the agricultural papers to print letters from so-called 
farmei-s, detailing what they have done with this 
stuff. There is nothing whatever in the process, and 
we advise you to have nothing at all to do with it. You 
will certainly be disappointed if you send any money 
for such a process, and attempt to make use of it. Let 
it alone ! 
Budding Cherries; Varieties on Wild Stocks. 
F. H. J., Vineyard Haven, Mass.— 1. What method is used in 
grafting or budding cherry trees? What is the proper time ? 2. 
Can the common varieties of tame cherries be budded or grafted 
on to the wild cherry ? 
Ans.—1. The cherry can be either grafted or bud¬ 
ded, but the latter is preferable, for the cherry and 
all other stone fruit trees are successfully grafted 
with more difficulty than other orchard frxxits. Bud¬ 
ding is done chiefly in the late Sxxmmer and early 
Fall by the shield method. About the first to the 
middle of August would be about right for Massachu¬ 
setts. The shield method of budding is the one 
mostly used. It would be well to go to some practical 
budder, and have the matter explained. 2. The culti¬ 
vated cherries do not succeed on wild cherry stocks. 
H. e. v. D. 
Budding Cherries and Quinces. 
W. W., Flushing, L. I .—When is the best time, and what the 
best method of budding cherries and quinces ? What is the 
average per cent of buds that live iu commercial practice ? 
Ans. —The common shield method of budding is as 
good as any for the cherry and quince, and one com¬ 
monly used. The time for doing the work varies 
somewhat, as the seasons vary ; but August would, 
probably, be the time to bud cherry and quince stocks 
on Long Island. If there should be a droxxght just 
before the proper time to do the budding, it would, 
probably, so check the flow of sap that the bark would 
not peel easily, therefore, the buds would not take 
well. If a good rain should come soon, it would make 
the budding easy and successful. These principles 
will hold good in any section, with any style of Sum¬ 
mer budding, and with almost any kind of tree. 
H. E. Y. D. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Killing Canada Thistles.—W. J. S., Pennsylvania.—We may 
say that there is just one way to kill Canada thistles, and that is 
by destroying the tops from month to mouth so that the root 
stocks become so weakened that they will die. Constant hoeing 
or pulling up the stalks just before bloom will eradicate the pest. 
Homemade Whale-OU Soap.—We would not advise readers 
to attempt to make whale-oil soap at home. We think that such 
homemade soap will cost more than the reliable article now on 
the market. This soap is usually made from flsh oil, and the 
manufacturers are able to obtain refuse oil at very low prices. 
