1909. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
167 
Building a Dam. 
P. A., Gaylord, Va .—I wish to dam a 
spring to a height of 2V6 feet, making the 
dam of concrete. The amount of water 
flowing from spring is probably 150 gallons 
a minute. Will you inform me how to go 
about it, and will Portland cement set in 
water? 
Axs.—If you wish merely to build a 
very small reservoir for the purpose of 
protecting the spring without storing 
much water I would simply dig a 
square pit right over where the spring, 
was deep enough to come down to firm 
soil or hard-pan and large enough to 
include the area through which the 
water came up. Probably from four 
to six feet square would generally be 
sufficient. Dig it so that the sides are 
square and perpendicular, and then crib 
up a board structure from four to six 
inches from the earth walls. Then till 
in this space with soft concrete carried 
up to a little above the level of the 
surrounding ground. As soon as this 
is well “set” the stakes and boards may 
be removed, leaving a bottomless ce¬ 
ment box, tight except for the outlet 
pipe. This box may then be covered 
with a. large flagstone or a cement slab. 
This is an ideal arrangement for a 
home water supply, because it will pro¬ 
tect the spring from contamination by 
dirt or vermin. A reservoir four feet 
deep and five feet square could he built 
from a load of gravel, a load of clean 
sand and two barrels of Portland ce¬ 
ment. On the other hand, if the de¬ 
sign is to build a dam for water storage 
or for ice, a different plan must be pur¬ 
sued. The easiest and cheapest plan 
will be to take a slow, patient team and 
a scraper, dragging out the soil and 
piling it in an embankment in the places 
where it is needed to make a dam, 
keeping it well tramped or packed to 
make it tight, and finished by construct¬ 
ing a wooden spillway or apron to pro¬ 
tect it from washing by the overflow.. 
If a row of sheet-piling can be driven 
down through this soft earth into the 
firm ground beneath it will prevent in¬ 
jury to the dam from burrowing ani¬ 
mals like muskrats. 
Recently we have had considerable 
experience in the building of a concrete 
dam for a pond for a farm electric 
ligh’t plant. A dam 2 y 2 feet liiglT will 
need only a very light concrete wall. 
Simply excavate a trench across the 
outlet of the spring and the bed of the 
creek deep enough to come down to 
reasonably firm ground, so that the 
water will not seep beneath the con¬ 
crete. Then crib up this trench with 
stakes and boards with stay lath 
nailed across to prevent them spreading 
apart under the pressure of the heavy, 
semi-liquid concrete. Then fill in this 
space with small, clean stones bedded 
in a mortar of sand, gravel and cement. 
If you have some scrap iron, such as 
old rods or iron pipe, you may use it 
as reinforcing material by burying it 
in the concrete as the wall goes up. 
Such a dam is not an expensive prop¬ 
osition. The depth of the trench and 
the thickness of dam must vary with 
the depth of water it is designed to 
retain. jared van wagenen, jr. 
Sweet Corn for New York. 
AT, Middletown, N. Y.—I am planning 
to plant sweet corn quite largely this sea¬ 
son. I notice that what is called “Hacken¬ 
sack corn” brings highest price usually in 
the New York City market. I can get 
small varieties like Crosby’s Early in mar¬ 
ket the last week in July and first week in 
August. I want to learn whether or not it 
would have to come in competition with 
large varieties like Evergreen or Country 
Gentlemen from Hackensack at that date. 
Ans. — “Hackensack” sweet corn 
brings high prices because it is hauled 
to Xew York in wagons the same day 
it is picked, thus being several hours 
nearer to the stalk than that brought 
by railroad. Some growers plant Cory 
exclusively, making several plantings to 
get a succession. Others use some 
Evergreen or similar large late varieties. 
There is steady supply of nearby corn 
from the middle of July until frost, so 
that shipments from a distance will 
have to compete with this Hackensack 
corn for a long time. For the general 
market good-sized ears are desired. To 
get a trade in small ears of higher 
quality would require something of the 
same kind of work needed to get up a 
retail trade in fancy eggs. 
Cement Walks; Cost of Cows. 
ll. F. M., Chatham, Center, N. Y.—1. 
Wishing to make a walk from the house to 
the street, will some one toll me the cheap¬ 
est means of making a permanent job? Is 
there any preparation of coal ashes that 
would do? 2. What would be the probable 
expense of keeping a cow a year where pas¬ 
ture cannot be had; 3. Are coal ashes of 
any value on a garden? 
Ans. —1. The first principle in laying 
a cement walk is to construct a solid 
foundation which cannot be moved by 
the frost. Upon this foundation lay 
the cement, mixed in the proportion of 
one part Portland cement, two parts 
sand and three parts coal ashes. Mix 
dry and then add water to make it the 
consistency of mortar. It should be 
laid about three inches thick, and a 
little clear cement should be used on 
the surface to make it smooth and 
hard. A walk constructed in this man¬ 
ner will last a long time, but it would 
make a better job to omit the coal’ 
Many Things on the Farm 
can be made of cement as cheaply as of lumber, and 
they last for centuries. But—you’ll be out at pocket 
if you buy cement before you get our book on 
EDISON 
Portland Cement 
and see not only what big work leading architects 
and engineers have used it on, but WHY 
they have specified it. 
Edison Portland Cement is always the same in 
color, texture and strength. Most economical— 
because it goes farthest— same weight as of other 
brands, binds 10 per cent, more sand, gravel or 
broken stone with equal strength, or binds same 
sand, etc., with 1 0 per cent, greater strength— 
because it is uniformly 1 0 per cent, finest ground 
in the world. 
Make it of “EDISON” and Save Money* 
Write TODAY for the Book. 
EDISON PORTLAND CEMENT COMPANY 
921 St. James Building, New York. City 
EDISON' 
PORTLAND 
CEMENT 
COM PA N Vj 
MEW VILLAGE _ 
N.J 
mum 
ashes in the mixture. 2. A fair esti¬ 
mate of the cost of keeping a cow a 
year without pasture would be $75 to 
$100, depending upon the individuality 
of the cow and the local prices of feed. 
3. There is no fertilizing value in coal 
ashes, but if applied to a heavy soil 
they might lighten it up a little and 
he of some value in that way. 
C. S. GREENE. 
Value of Old Plastering. 
J. 8. It., Yonkers, A'. Y.—I recently pur¬ 
chased a farm with a big 12-room bouse 
in bad repair. I at once took out all the 
old plastering completely and replastered. 
Can the old plaster be used on land as 
lime? How will it compare in value with 
new agricultural lime? 
Ans. —Remember what the old plas¬ 
tering is—lime, sand and hair. The 
sand adds no value to it, the hair a 
very little. Most old plastering con¬ 
tains small quantities of nitrate of 
lime, which forms in damp places. The 
plastering is usually not worth more 
than one-third as much as air-slaked 
lime and must be crushed or ground fine 
before it will be fit to use. We have 
put the large broken pieces as a mulch 
around trees. 
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Can Be Used on Steep or 
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Any Workman Can Put 
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No Odor. 
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Light in Weight. 
Does not Taint Water. 
Write for samples, prices 
and circulars. 
H. F. WATSON CO. 
ERIE, PA. 
Chicago, Boston. 
Mention R.N-Y. 
—99 9 Xoo % Pure—, 
American Ingot Iron Roofing 
Guaranteed For 30 Years 
Without Painting 
The Only Guaranteed Metal Roofing ever put on the 
market. Samples free. Write for a free book showing 
remarkable tests. A way out of your roof troubles. 
THE AMERICAN IRON ROOFING CO., Dept. D, ELYRIA. OHId 
r Roofing Book and Samples 
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No matter how much or little roofing or siding you need; no 
matter what kind or grade of roofing you want to buy— 
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We have been making roofing for farm and city buildings for 50 years. 
Our longer experience and better facilities insure you better quality than you 
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FOR SIDING FARM BUILDINGS 
Asbestoside is without an equal. It has the same durability and fire- 
resistance features as our asbestos roofing and keeps a building comfortable 
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H. W. Johns-Manville Co. Home Omce, 100 William St., N. Y. 
" Continental " Binder 
Three generations of farmers have used the Johnston binder— 
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The JOHNSTON HARVESTER CO . 
WHY NOT USE HUBBARD’S? 
