1904. 
779 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
WATER POWER ON THE FARM. 
Farmers who are situated so that they can make use 
of a waterwheel often secure useful power in this way. 
A small stream near the buildings often can be made 
to turn light machinery. W. H. Stout of Schuylkill Co., 
POWER KOIl WASHING MACHINE AND CHURN. Fig. 348. 
Pa., has such a water power which he finds very useful. 
I he pictures shown give an idea of the work such a 
wheel will do. Fig. 348 shows the washing machine, 
grindstone and churn in position; Fig. 349 a mill used 
for grinding grain, bones and oyster shells, also a fod¬ 
der cutter in view, while the corn sheller, and meat 
chopper, circular saw and light grain separator are at 
times driven. Fig. 350 shows force pump raising water 
to a 1,200 gallon tank from which it is piped to the 
stables and the house, giving cold and hot water for 
bath room and other uses. For irrigating the garden 
and yard it is found very convenient, the force pump 
driven by an 18-inch turbine throwing a stream with 
considerable force, useful also for washing wagons and 
vegetables. _ 
FARM PRODUCE HAULED BY TROLLEY. 
Very Convenient in Ohio. 
In this section we ship all kinds of farm produce on 
the traction cars. Most of the grain is shipped in 
sacks. Potatoes are either sacked or crated. Unless 
the shipper has a carload of grain it is all sacked and 
delivered at the numbered poles for loading. On an 
average we have two numbers in a mile’s distance; we 
have only a distance of 35 rods to the station. They 
have fine waiting rooms along the line, and in case of 
rain the produce is put in these quarters until it is 
loaded. The tobacco is hauled to town, a distance of 
two miles; the reason they have to do that is because 
there is no side track here, and it would stop the traf¬ 
fic, as it takes too long to unload and weigh the tobacco. 
Piqua, Ohio. j. b. s. 
Adds Value to New York Farms. 
We have a trolley line, the Lockport, Olcott and 
Buffalo line, running right by our farms. Every night 
at 9 P. M. a train of cars leaves Olcott, stops at all 
stations to take on fruit or produce, and lands the same 
in Buffalo.the next morning on the market. In Buffalo 
trains are provided and everything is delivered to the 
consignee, the same as by express. A charge of 40 
cents per 100 pounds is made for freight and delivery, 
and six one-third bushel baskets of peaches are taken 
for 100 pounds. Besides this, everything in the shape 
of freight is taken, either in small quantities or by 
carloads. Where formerly we had to haul our produce 
six miles to Lockport and haul feed, fertilizer or other 
supplies from Lockport, we now load everything on 
cars one-fourth mile from the farm, and what we buy 
is delivered at same place. Where the Fall before the 
trolley got into running order it took three teams two 
days to load a car of apples at Lockport; now one team 
can land a car at our station in half a day. When we 
load cars to go over New York Central from Lockport 
the charge is $6 extra, but if to go on the Erie no extra 
charge is made over Lockport rate. But even when 
going on New York Central ff is very much cheaper 
than hauling stuff six miles to Lockport. We would 
not have trolley removed for $25 per acre. We were 
offered $150 per acre for our farm of 266 acres, close 
by trolley station, for which a few years ago we paid 
$66, the enhanced value due largely to the establishment 
of the trolley road. Some men who opposed it most 
strenuously when it was being laid are now its strongest 
friends. j. s. woodward. 
Niagara Co., N. Y. 
The Cincinnati Interurban Electric R. R. Co. has just 
completed a large freight depot at its Cincinnati ter¬ 
minus. The branch running through Fruit Hill follows 
the Ohio pike for about 25 miles into the country. 
This is a fruit and truck farming section. Passenger 
cars even are provided with a freight department in 
front. Cars will stop at any and all farms along the 
line. The happy farmer has only to haul his produce 
to the track, it being marked with his own name and 
that of commissionman to whom consigned, and the 
railroad does the rest, while he is eating his dinner or 
is back in his field gathering more goods. The electric 
car comes whirling along, and seeing his produce on 
the platform stops and takes it on. From Fruit Hill, 
a distance of 12 or more miles, they will haul, on a 
freight car, three bushels for ten cents. 
“It makes the farmer sort o’ jolly 
To ship his produce ou the trolley.” 
Fruit Hill, O. x. r. h. 
ICEBOX IN A CELLAR. 
Would it be practical to build an icebox in the cellar for 
keeping butter and eggs? I would want one about 4x5 feet 
square; have good drainage for the water to run off, and 
could arrange to put the ice in from the floor above. What 
would be the best material to pack between the walls? 
Would sawdust do? How low would the temperature have 
to be to keep butter a week or 10 days? h. g. w. 
Wheeling. W. Va. 
The plan here outlined is entirely practicable and no 
farm, where perishable products are handled to a 
greater or less extent, should be without a large re¬ 
frigerator of this kind. It is to be preferred to an ice¬ 
house, as in most localities ice can be purchased to fill 
the icebox—say 200 pounds per week—for less money 
than it costs to fill an icehouse. The idea of putting in 
the ice from floor above is very good and will save 
much labor. The top, bottom and sides should be sur¬ 
rounded by insulated walls, and the care with which 
they are constructed will show in the amount of ice 
required to keep the refrigerator going. Beginning at 
the outside, it may be described as follows: Outer wall 
of matched lumber, layer of mineral felt, air space, 
boards, filling of mineral wool or charcoal, inner board 
casing and zinc or galvanized iron lining of the ice¬ 
box and provision chamber. The air space and middle 
board wall may be dispensed with if one does not care 
GRINDER AND CUTTER BY WATER POWER. Fig. 349. 
to be so thorough. Sawdust for filling is not to be re¬ 
commended, as it will decay and be objectionable in that 
way. Mineral wool is the best insulating material 
known for a cold box, but probably charcoal will be 
more convenient to obtain. There should be bevel doors 
for entering the cold provision apartment in the cel¬ 
lar, and for putting the ice in the top. These doors 
should be constructed on somewhat the same manner 
as the sides. 
The ice rack requires some ingenuity to make in order 
to drain off water, prevent dirt from falling and yet 
allowing the cold air to pass downward freely. It should 
have an opening in the middle well covered over by a 
second arched floor above. The drainage pipe to carry 
off the water should keep the floor clear of water and 
should be trapped to prevent any warm air coming in. 
The cold air falls directly from the ice to the body of 
the provision chamber, and the warmer air will creep 
up along the walls, passing into the ice box by ducts 
through the ice floor. It is then cooled again or passes 
off, in part, through the adjustable ventilators near the 
top of the structure. Only general principles are here 
described. It would require some mechanical skill to 
work out the details so as to make a successful job. 
There would be no difficulty about the temperature be¬ 
ing low enough to keep butter and eggs, so long as 
there was ice in the ice box. g d 
STORING CABBAGE FOR WINTER FEED. 
I doubt if any other kind of stock will use a cabbage 
crop to as good advantage as will sheep. They are ex¬ 
tremely fond of it, and when fed judiciously they will 
grow and fatten very rapidly. Some dairymen claim 
good results from feeding them to cows, but it must be 
understood that there will be danger of injury to the 
flavor of the milk and its products if cabbage is fed 
carelessly, or in too great quantities, and in whatever 
limited quantity they are fed it should always be" done 
after milking. In feeding to any kind of stock care 
should be taken not to allow any decayed parts of 
leaves in the manger, as they will create a filthy condi¬ 
tion which should never be found in a feed rack or 
manger. Cabbage may be stored through Winter at a 
small expense if there is a cellar at hand which is dry 
and can be kept at an even, low temperature. The cab¬ 
bage should be kept in racks or cribs, so as to admit of 
a circulation of air through them, and they should not 
be laid directly against the outside wall. It is better if 
the cabbage is put into the cellar when dry. When 
stored in this way it may be taken out as needed for 
use. If a cellar is not available it may be kept in pits 
so arranged that the cabbage may be taken out daily in 
whatever quantities are needed for use. 
I think the most satisfactory cabbage pit is made 
about as follows: Select a location where the ground 
is naturally dry, and no danger of surface water. It 
should be as near the stables as possible, and protected 
from wind. Make a bunk six feet wide and of con¬ 
venient length by driving stakes firmly in the ground, 
and on the insides of which boards are firmly nailed, 
making the sides two feet high. Run a good stiff 
scantling lengthwise directly over the center of the 
pit, six feet from the ground, for a ridge pole. This 
must be well supported in order to sustain the weight 
of covering and snow. Make a square box ventilator 
on the ground in the center of the pit, and running its 
entire length; scatter a little straw on the ground and 
place the heads snugly in the pit, making it as full as 
possible, not to interfere with the roof boards. Ven¬ 
tilators should be provided in the ridge about 15 feet 
apart, and the whole roof and sides covered with straw 
and dirt in such amounts as necessary to protect from 
freezing, always keeping in mind that while they must 
be fully protected from freezing, there is always danger 
from keeping them too warm, and thus causing decay. 
Cabbage may be taken from one end of the pit through 
the Winter as needed, the open end being kept filled 
with straw, and all covered over with old carpets or 
blankets. If cabbage could be cut into a silo and kept 
like corn the whole matter of storing for feed would be 
a simple one, but all efforts tcT do so must result in 
failure, as the entire mass will soon decay. 
Genesee Co., N. Y, frank d. ward. 
AIR IN A WATER PIPE. 
On page 743 the following water problem is stated: 
I get my water from a small spring, 2 Vi to five gallons 
per minute, 3,800 feet away, with about 12 feet fall from 
spring, 1,500 feet flown grade, then up grade about six 
feet. I have 300 feet llA-inch pipe; rest of line one-inch 
pipe. Every 10 days I have to pump out the rust, as I 
have black pipe. This gives me a full flow of water for 
four days, then it gets weaker each day thereafter. If I 
should use 300 feet of three-inch pipe at start would that 
give me force to run out rust? 
The trouble is not so much with rust as a stoppage 
as with air in the pipe at the elevation, which soon ac¬ 
cumulates and causes the stoppage. There should be a 
T in the pipe with a perpendicular pipe out of it to the 
surface of the ground. The water will flow past, while 
the air escapes. A 30-inch pipe that supplies Syracuse 
with water from the Skaneateles Lake 18 miles distant 
has air gates over the line at every elevation. These 
are opened to let out the air every other day, re¬ 
quiring^ a man to walk over the line half way each 
day. The air chamber on a water ram requires once in 
four to six days to be opened and a new supply of air 
let in. The air is not exhausted, as many suppose, but 
becomes so packed that the air becomes as dense 
as the water, and causes an unsteady flow and 
soon a stoppage. There is an advantage in hav¬ 
ing several of these air escapes to help locate a 
stoppage in water pipes. It may be difficult now, as 
the pipe is laid, to put in the escape. I would dig 
down to the pipe and drill a hole large enough to in¬ 
sert a %-inch brass pipe, which can be driven in the 
hole, or a galvanized pipe could be used. If inserted 
at the highest point on the pipe it will not require a 
perfect fit, as the water will flow past to the lowest 
point. If inquirer has bought pipe since steel has 
taken the place of iron I pity him. Galvanized iron is 
a little better, but not much, as late years the pipe has 
a very thin wash that soon gives way. I am about to 
lay a cement pipe in the place of iron, which has rusted 
out in eight years. Some one should invent a cement 
pipe in lengths of 18 to 24 inches that can be cemented 
at the joints with Portland cement. I can lay a con¬ 
tinuous pipe over a rod about four feet long with a 
short follower to smooth as it is slowly pulled along. 
Some years ago such pipe was made with water lime 
cement with fair success, but failed from not being 
FORCE PUMP FOR WATER POWER. Fig. 350. 
firm enough to prevent roots growing through and fill¬ 
ing the pipe. It often was cracked from freezing. 
Such pipe must be below the frost and have iron or 
wood for any point where frost is liable to break it. 
Should the inquirer make a success in allowipg the air 
to escape, I would like him to report in The R. N.-Y. 
-> ^ C. M, 
