Vol. LXIII. No. 2821. 
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 20, 1904. 
*1 PER YEAR. 
HOT WATER HEATERS FOR FARMERS. 
Convenience, Construction and Cost. 
As the fuel question even among farmers is each 
year becoming more and more a matter of vital im¬ 
portance, and many are even now depending almost 
entirely on coal for heating and domestic purposes, 
how best to utilize this necessity with the greatest 
degree of comfort and economy is apparently a ques¬ 
tion yet to be satisfactorily solved. That hot water 
heating is comparatively new and untried is quite 
evident, as applied to farmers at the present time. 
Hot air and steam have long been tested, their merits 
are well known, and their advocates are many, and 
to adopt a system whose merits are somewhat ob¬ 
scure calling for a larger outlay apparently than 
either of the above systems, seemed hazardous, to say 
the least. After thorough investigation of a plant of 
this character it was decided to adopt it. My farm 
dwelling is not a modern structure; the absence of a 
sheathing of matched lumber with building paper 
next the clapboards, a por¬ 
tion of which was built by 
my father nearly 100 years 
ago, would indicate its con¬ 
dition in zero weather, but 
a year’s test including the 
phenomenally cold weather 
of the present Winter, 
seems to justify the selec¬ 
tion of this system. 
Although the boiler is 
not of the largest capacity 
we have had no difficulty in 
heating, during the coldest 
weather, every room, above 
and below (eight of them), 
that contained radiators. 
The draft is only left open 
a short time during the 24 
hours; 68 and 70 degrees is 
the temperature easily at¬ 
tained in zero weather un¬ 
less accompanied by furi¬ 
ous wind. Coal is replen¬ 
ished morning and evening. 
At a convenient point in 
one of the living rooms is 
the arrangement for regu¬ 
lating the draft. At a point 
somewhat higher than any 
of the radiators are located 
is placed the reservoir of 12 
or 15 gallons capacity for furnishing a constant sup¬ 
ply of water to the boiler, its evaporation being com¬ 
paratively nothing from day to day. The pipe con¬ 
ducting the water to the boiler also serves as an ex¬ 
haust pipe in case the water becomes sufficiently 
heated to require its use, which seldom occurs if 
proper care is exercised; in fact, the care of the entire 
system is simplicity itself. Fears were at first enter¬ 
tained that perhaps during severe cold the water in 
radiators would be liable to freeze unless it was al¬ 
lowed free circulation, but it is learned that even 
when the water is shut off a circulation is then al¬ 
lowed sufficient to prevent freezing at all times. A 
peculiar feature of this system of heating is the even 
temperature continuously maintained in all parts of 
every room above and below, with an entire absence 
of sudden drafts of air that at times prevail with 
other systems. Another favorable feature is that al¬ 
though the hot water pipes necessarily lead to all 
parts of the cellar, it has been learned that potatoes 
and other vegetables can be stored without injury 
provided the pipes are covered with a mineral wool 
preparation manufactured expressly for this purpose. 
With the exception of the smoke pipe there is no 
sheet or galvanized sheet iron used, the boiler, flues 
and furnace consisting of heavy cast iron, being con¬ 
stantly in contact with water, rendering them, it is 
claimed, practically indestructible. 
In regard to the expense of running this'system as 
compared with others, I have as yet no definite data, 
but from information already gathered, it is believed 
that for the amount of work performed, or rather the 
surface heated, it can be accomplished with less ex¬ 
pense than with some of the others. It was intended 
by the manufacturers no doubt that coal exclusively 
be used as fuel, which may be all right for our city 
cousins, but for farmers, if available, wood can be 
used to quite an extent instead, and with a larger fur¬ 
nace door the large chunks that are usually burned 
in the common chunk stove could well be utilized 
in this manner, thus still lessening the expense. The 
above is quite a serious objection, and yet another at 
least to many would be the additional expense in¬ 
curred by adopting this method. By referring to 
memoranda it is found that the entire expense of the 
above plant finished complete was $886.82, an amount 
I am aware will at first thought deter many from 
adopting this system of heating, but when the amount 
and manner of work it is able to perform, its evident 
durability, the satisfaction, convenience and comfort 
attending its use, are considered, it thus far promises 
to be a wise investment. irving i>. cook. 
Genesee Co., N.Jf._ 
CHEMISTRY OF THE BORDEAUX MIXTURE 
t. What Is the chemical reaction in making Bordeaux 
Mixture? 2. What is it in Bordeaux that kills the fungus 0 
3. Is there any copper sulphate left after lime is added 
according to formula? 4. Is the copper sulphate merely 
neutralized, or is some or all of it actually chemically 
changed? r>. Is it not the copper part that does the kill¬ 
ing, and if so, will not some other salt of copper kill 
the fungus? I have also followed your discussion of 
the lime-sulphur-salt wash and draw the following con 
elusions: The salt is merely an agent; the lime and 
sulphur are sufficient alone. • Lime and sulphur boiled 
together and chemically united give us sulphate of lime, 
and this carries me around the circle to my old friend 
gypsum. Gypsum or land plaster is what our fore¬ 
fathers used to mix and sift on with the Paris-green 
to kill the Colorado beetles, and an old potato grower 
and. others tell me that blight was unknown here till 
after the practice of spraying with Paris-green and 
water was commenced. Also, I believe that in dry Bor¬ 
deaux we get practically what our forefathers used, only 
made in a more expensive way. That is, Paris-green 
mixed with sulphate of lime or gypsum—and here I am 
back to my old friend again. In dry Bordeaux copper 
hydrate is also present and manifest. This alone differs 
from our forefathers’ remedy. Jno. c. ferris. 
Orleans Co., N. Y. 
To answer the direct questions of your correspon¬ 
dent is easy. 1. When milk of lime is added to a so¬ 
lution of copper sulphate, in making Bordeaux Mix¬ 
ture, there is formed copper hydrate and lime sulphate 
(plaster). 2. It is chiefly the copper hydrate in Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture that kills the fungus. Probably the 
excess of lime hydrate also helps. 3. No copper sul¬ 
phate is left after lime is added, if the mixture is 
thoroughly stirred. 4. All of the copper sulphate is 
changed into hydrate. 5. Sulphate of copper is used 
because it is the cheapest salt. We also use carbon¬ 
ate of copper solution for spraying some things, an«’J 
the sulphate is used by itself in weak solution 'jA 
Winter spraying. Con.® 
now to the lime and^®-.' 
phur wash, vomjrtHfl 
dent asks: “WhenTuT!^^®l 
sulphur are mixed together 
what, do they give us?” 
They combine, forming a 
number of different sul¬ 
phides of lime, and these 
sulphides may perhaps dis¬ 
solve some additional sul¬ 
phur without forming defi¬ 
nite compounds with it. 
Your correspondent says 
that ‘‘this brings me around 
the circle to my old friend 
gypsum,” but I cannot see 
that it does. Sulphide of 
lime is utterly different 
from sulphate. The latter 
is odorless, the former is as 
rank as Lady Macbeth’s of¬ 
fense. The sulphate is quite 
inert as a fungicide, the sul¬ 
phide is very efficient, in 
that way. As your corre¬ 
spondent suggests sulphate 
of lime (plaster) is used as 
a diluent for Paris-green, 
and may be freely dusted on 
potato vines. The finely- 
powdered plaster will itself 
suffocate insects which are covered with it. But sul¬ 
phide of lime could not be used in that way. It is not 
true that Potato blight was unknown till after the 
practice came in of spraying with Paris-green and 
water for the Potato beetle; but supposing it were? 
Does anyone suppose that blight is caused by spray¬ 
ing with Paris-green and water? Sulphate of lime or 
plaster is of no value as a fungicide, and of no more 
value as an insecticide than any other fine dust. Sul¬ 
phate of copper itself is a very powerful fungicide, but 
it cannot be used on foliage, for it kills it as well as 
the growing twigs. By mixing a solution of sulphate 
of copper with excess of lime, as in making Bordeaux 
Mixture, we change all the copper sulphate into cop¬ 
per hydroxide, a substance which is a good fungicide, 
and at the same time does not harm the foliage of 
potatoes, apples and some other fruits. It cannot be 
safely used on the foliage of peaches. The excess of 
lime always present in Bordeaux Mixture, no^ (joubt, 
is a great help in making the copper hydrate adhere 
to the leaves. It must be remembered that Bordeaux 
Mixture can probably only kill growing fungi with, 
which it comes in contact. It cannot kill a fungus 
which has already got into the plant tissues. Hence, 
IMPORTED GERMAN COACH STALLION HANNIBAL 2127. Fig. 56. 
