1854. 
Wind Power for Farm Purposes. 
A correspondent in Connecticut, wishes to avail him¬ 
self of some kind of stationary power for the various 
purposes of the fawn, and having no o.ther at hand, 
would like to know if wind may not be used to advan¬ 
tage ; the mode of constructing the apparatus; how 
great a power may be obtained; and the cost of erec¬ 
tion. 
This subject is one eminently deserving inquiry, and 
is worthy of the attention of every farmer, for no other 
power may be so universally used. Water is at the 
command of a very few only; steam is costly and re¬ 
quires skilful management; but wind is every where 
accessible, wind-privileges cost nothing, and a machine 
through which its force may be exerted can be made 
at quite a moderate expense. It cannot be used so 
well for the heavier operations of thrashing grain or 
sawing wood; but may be applied to great advan¬ 
tage in cutting straw, slicing roots, churning, turning 
grindstone, and especially to pumping water, all of 
which, although laborious, require but a moderate and 
continued force. It has succeeded well for these pur¬ 
poses in actual practice, and there need be no difficulty 
in any case if properly applied. 
• The accompanying figure represents a contrivance 
for the purpose of working a pump. It consists of a 
simple pyramidal frame, made of four pieces of timber, 
the top of which is furnished with a circular piece of 
strong, very thick plank, made of the hardest wood, 
and pinned fast to the upper end of the timber; or 
still better, small tenons of these timbers should pass 
through this circular plank. It may he advisable to 
face this plank with a -east iron or thick sheet iron 
plate. A large hole is made through the center, for 
•the passage of the pump-rod, and forseeuring another 
strong circular piece of wood above 'it Tie upper 
piece .is made so as to turn freely in a> horizontal direc¬ 
tion, and is secured to the lower by means of several 
iron plates or bars, which pass down and clasp the un¬ 
der side of the lower or fixed wooden circle. To the 
movable circle a crank is attached, as the figure re¬ 
presents; and to the outer end of this crank the 
windmill is fixed. On the opposite side of the mova¬ 
ble circle is fastened a vane large enough to keep the 
windmill always toward the wind. The crank will 
work the pump-rod, no matter in what direction the 
wind may blow., and the machine thus regulates itself. 
It is scarcely needful to remark that the faces of the 
circles should be kept greased, that the vane may turn 
freely. 
The power of such a contrivance as this will as a 
matter of course depend entirely on the size of the 
wheel and the strength of the wind. The pressure of 
what is usually termed a “ brisk wind,” varies from 
one to three pounds on a square foot; and as a gene¬ 
ral or average estimate, a wheel four feet in diameter 
with such a wind, will perform the labor of a man. 
Even with a light breeze, the pump will be set in mo¬ 
tion, and will continue to raise water at a moderate 
rate. The cost of such a contrivance will vary from 
twenty to fifty dollars, according to its size and the 
perfection of the work. 
In all windmills, it is important that the sails or fans 
have the right .degree of inclination to the direction of 
the wind. If they were to remain motionless , the an¬ 
gle would be different from that needed in actual use. 
They should more nearly face the wind; and as the 
ends of the sails sweep round through a greater distance 
and faster, these extremities should present a flatter 
surface 'than the parts nearer the center, (the sails 
curviUg for this purpose,) in all windmills of much 
size. Scientific mechanics give the following as the 
proper angle of inclination to the line of the wind’s 
motion; 68 degrees for the part nearest the center, 72 
for the middle, and 83 for the tips. This may be of 
use to those who wish to get as much work out of the 
wind as they can. 
Unloaded windmills, or those which perform no work, 
mo^e faster at the extremities than the wind itself, in 
consequence of its nressure on the inner portions of the 
sails. In order to work most effectively, the work put 
upon them should run them about one-third slower, 
or with the ends about equal to the wind’s motion. 
A wind which blows 25 miles an hour, and presses 
three pounds on a square foot, is about as strong as it 
is safe to run a windmill in ; and we are not aware of 
any contrivance to regulate them in stronger gales. 
But we would propose for this purpose to have the sails 
turn on pivots at their ends, and a little out of their 
centers. A spring would preserve the proper angle of 
inclination, but a high wind would press upon these 
springs, turning the sails more edgewise towards its 
direction, and lessening its power upon them. When 
intended for in-door work, it should he placed on the 
roof of the building, so as to get the wind from every 
direction without impediment, and that the working 
