11 7-4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKEK 
November 23, 
PUTTING UP A LIGHTNING ROD. 
I am building a new barn, and all kinds of lightning 
rod agents are swarming in on me. They all claim of 
course to have the best. I am thinking of rodding, but 
I wish to know if possible what is the best. First, I 
want to know which is the better, the Jointed rod or the 
cable? What kind of rod gives best results and wears 
longest? One agent has a composition steel and copper 
rod which he claims to be the greatest conductor made. 
Do you know of such a rod and what is the result? 
What kind of cable is the best to use, how should the 
rod or cable be put on the building and W'hat kind of 
grounding is made? What kind of points is best and how 
connected to rod or cable? What is the best test in qual¬ 
ity, copper rods or cable? One agent claims to have a 
cable to test 98 per cent copper, while another says 87 
per cent is the best copper that can be used for the pur¬ 
pose. All the agents claim that the government buildings 
are all rodded with their rods. Do you know what they 
are rodded with, rods or cable, and what make? There 
I 
have been a lot of farmers around here “stung,” as they 
call it, with lightning rod agents, and I would like some 
information before rodding. c. c. h. 
Ohio. 
The Federal Government does not install lightning 
rods on any of the buildings it erects except some 
powder vaults, although President Taft had the White 
House equipped with lightning rods a year ago, the 
work being done under the supervision of the War 
Department following the practise outlined below. 
Absolute security can be attained only with great 
difficulty and considerable expense. The expense of 
such an installation should bear some relation to the 
value of the building. If the building is already 
heavily insured, it would not be economical to go to 
great additional expense to try to prevent lightning 
damage. The caily way to protect a building with 
absolute completeness is to enclose it wholly in metal. 
Ordinarily that can’t be done, so a cage or framework 
of wire suffices for most practical purposes. Such a 
method of protection is called the “bird cage method” 
and is used on the White House. It is absolutely 
essential that the grounding of the rod be as nearly 
perfect as possible. The grounding device, which 
should be a large plate of metal or a very large bundle 
of wire, should be buried in moist earth at least 10 
feet down, and the lightning rod securely and per¬ 
fectly fastened to it and the joint soldered or welded. 
The earth should be closely packed around the rod 
where it enters the ground. 
There is no choice between the cable and the jointed 
rods if the joints are perfect and in every respect 
well made and soldered. Usually the cable is pre¬ 
ferred because it can be more readily put up and sharp 
turns may be more readily avoided. As to the choice 
of metals, prominent scientists disagree in theory, 
while practically the decision is usually influenced by 
the cost. There can be no question but what copper 
is the best conductor there is of the common metals, 
and the purer the copper the better conductor it is. 
There are many other considerations that enter into 
the engineering calculations besides the mere conduc¬ 
tivity, as a discharge of lightning varies greatly from 
the ordinary passage of electric current at low poten¬ 
tial in a conductor, and what is proper for one may 
not be for the other. Practically, the chief advantage 
of copper is that it does not rust and so will last 
longer than iron. However, the iron if galvanized 
and painted will last a long time and is cheap. As 
eminent an authority as Sir Oliver Lodge, as well as 
many others believe that iron is the best metal to 
use for many reasons, and abroad it is almost univer¬ 
sally used, the practice being largely to use barbed 
wire following the contours of the roofs or buildings, 
and military authorities use barbed wire cages enclos¬ 
ing the powder storage buildings. Whichever is used 
it must be kept in first class repair. If the points 
are battered up and the rod rusted, the system is use¬ 
less. The main points should always be vertical and 
in good condition. Plain sharp points projecting 
about six inches above the highest parts of the build¬ 
ing are best, and they must be perfectly connected to 
the rest of the rod so as to have a thorough me¬ 
chanical and electrical joint. Usually soldering or 
welding is necessary. The rod must always be fas¬ 
tened right to the building—the use of insulators is 
dangerous and must not be permitted. The closer the 
rod is fastened the better. There must not be any 
sharp turns in the rod. The highest part of the sys¬ 
tem should be connected to the ground by the short¬ 
est possible route. All metal anywhere on the build¬ 
ing must be well connected to the rod, and if there is 
a wire fence near the rod it must be connected to the 
rod, too. 
The chief use of a lightning rod is in preventing a 
stroke taking place by keeping the building free from 
any electrical charge. This is very well done by the 
ordinary two-strand, galvanized barbed wire because 
of its multiplicity of points. If it is kept from rust¬ 
ing by being painted often and the points are kept in 
good shape, its use is recommended, if put on by an 
expert, all joints being made perfect, a ground rod 
at each corner of the barn and, if possible, ground 
rods from the two ends of the ridge, the roof having 
lines of barbed wire all along the edges and along 
the ridge pole. Six or eight-inch points should be 
placed at each end of the ridge pole and perfectly 
joined to the barbed wire. Then numerous cross 
lines of barbed wire should be laid between the ridge 
pole and the lower edges so that the roof is really a 
net work of wire all perfectly joined together. This 
should be the system no matter what metal is used. 
The general practice in the United States of late 
years is to use the copper cable. The 98 per cent 
copper conductor is better than the 87 per cent or the 
copper iron, but it costs more. A braided or woven 
copper cable would be better than any of the others 
and should not cost as much as the solid cable. Any 
of them, if properly installed, will probably give satis¬ 
faction. The bimetallic cable should have a good 
thickness of copper on the outside and the ends must 
be well protected so that the rust will not work in. 
The real vital thing is that the system shall be in¬ 
stalled properly and that it shall be kept in first class 
condition._ R - p - c - 
DRAINING THAT BAD SPOT. 
On page 1042 A. P. Williams says lie has a hard 
drainage problem. Not knowing just the exact con¬ 
ditions, but from his description of the land, I would 
proceed as follows: I would dig through the high 
ground on the edge of the basin he says has 10 feet 
of water at times, taking of course the place ol least 
resistance; that is, where he would have the least 
digging. It is going to be expensive digging 10 to 12 
feet to get below the bottom of the basin, but if he 
is going to do anything it must be done right, or 
his time will be more or less wasted. Then when 
he has dug out where the drain will enter and drain 
away the water, continue his ditch or drain as far 
as necessary, and at least two feet below the sur¬ 
face, to prevent freezing and chances of the tile 
being disturbed afterwards. The drain must be 
continued as far as necessary to prevent water back- 
A DRAINAGE PLAN. Fig. 4<S. 
ing and bursting open through his drain; he must 
have sufficient fall to carry off all the water. 
When the digging is complete I would lay a four 
or five inch drain tile; he must judge for himself 
the size, as I do not know how fast the water col¬ 
lects in the pond, nor how much there is to carry 
off, but a four-inch tile well laid and having suffi¬ 
cient fall will take a lot of water running day and 
night, and not allow much water to collect, and then 
maybe only for a few days, if at all. But under 
the circumstances it is hard to give him the size of 
tile to use; he does not give the size of basin nor 
how many acres are drained into it. 
I have made a rough drawing, Fig. 485 , and hope 
he will be as successful as I have been in his drain¬ 
age problems. My land is in fine condition, though 
it cost several hundred dollars to get it what it 
now is, as I have nearly 4,000 feet of ditch. Where 
he ends his tile in the pond I would dig a large 
hole of six to eight feet across, and as deep as the 
tile. Fill in this hole with small stones up to near 
the surface, being careful to place thin stone across 
the opening of tile to prevent the stones going down 
and choking it up 
Dig four short ditches 25 to 30 feet long from the 
four opposite sides of the hole where the main ditch 
begins, and which was to be filled in with small stones. 
If the land is lower on only two opposite sides then 
dig only two ditches 35 to 40 feet, the same depth as 
the main ditch. The object is to drain the land as 
quickly as possible in Spring, and two or four short 
ditches to catch the water will hasten it. 
If possible, get small stones or very coarse gravel 
and fill in around the tile to within about a foot of the 
surface of the land, this foot to be filled in with the 
earth dug out while ditching. A 2^4 to 3-inch tile 
should be large enough for these surface ditches, but 
the size of tile to be used he must determine for him¬ 
self, as he will know the size of the surface of the 
land to be drained, and how fast the water is expected 
to be drained away. If at any time he desires to ex¬ 
tend these short ditches it is easily done. All that 
is required will be to dig down to where the tile 
ends, and continue the ditches as far as desired. Be 
careful to have proper fall, and the tile laid level at 
the bottom, and the last foot or so to be earth, so 
that the plow will not strike the stones laid over the 
tile. . a. E. B. 
Milton, N. Y. 
NON-GUARANTEED MILK. 
The English Mark Lane Express mentions a curious 
milk case. An English dairyman decided to protect 
himself about as American seedsmen do when they 
handle seeds. He drew up the following form, which 
customers were obliged to sign before the milk would 
be delivered: 
“I. --, give no warranty express or implied 
as to the nature, substance, or quality of any milk I 
supply to my customers. Every endeavor is made by me 
to supply milk of the best quality and direct from the 
cow, but I cannot warrant that my milk will at this or 
any future time be up to the standard laid down by the 
Board of Agriculture. 
“I am prepared to continue to supply you with milk 
only on the above mentioned terms, though you can always 
rely upon receiving from me milk as it comes from my 
cows. 
“Please sign and return to me the enclosed acknowledg¬ 
ment of this notice if you wish me to continue supplying 
you.” 
The acknowledgment reads: 
“I acknowledge to have received from you notice dated 
the - day of July, 1912, and request you to supply 
me with milk on the terms of such notice.” 
One of the drivers, a boy of 14, was stopped by a 
milk inspector who tried to buy a pint of milk for 
testing. The boy followed instructions and refused to 
sell unless the inspector signed the printed form. 
The result was that the boy and his employer were 
arrested for refusing to sell milk to an inspector. 
For the defense it was claimed that there was no 
absolute refusal to sell the milk, since the inspector 
could have bought on the same terms that every one 
else did, and under the English law the question of 
notice of condition of sale had been settled. The 
court finally discharged the boy and fined the dairy¬ 
man $5 and costs in order to carry the point up higher 
as a test case. 
VARIOUS NOTES. 
There are fertilizer troubles on the other side as 
well as here. This is one report of the British Gov¬ 
ernment chemist: 
Fish Manure .—The name implies that the article is com¬ 
posed of fish refuse. The sample examined, however, con¬ 
sisted of fine ashes, mixed with a few fish bones, and 
contained only .59 per cent of nitrogen and 2.4 per cent 
of phosphates. 
The defense no doubt would be that it was a fish 
manure—used in fishing for suckers. 
Referring to the battle in Tyrone, Pa., page 1046, the 
farmers around Tyrone could knock that ordinance higher 
than Gilderoy’s kite in two weeks. The same game was 
tried many years ago in a town in Indiana. The business 
men demanded the ordinance, and got it. But the farmers 
combined and said they would not buy a penny's worth 
in the town till that ordinance was repealed. The business 
men laughed, saying “They will be in as usual on Satur 
day to trade and get their mail.” (It was before the 
days of free delivery.) On Saturday four horsemen rode 
into town from the four points of the compass for the 
mail. Otherwise the streets were deserted, as far as 
farmers were concerned. The ordinance was repealed on 
Monday. f. m. swift. 
Michigan. 
The borough council of Tyrone undertook to pro¬ 
hibit the farmers from selling their produce on the 
streets except in a regular market. This ordinance 
was passed to give the storekeepers and stablemen 
a special privilege, for selling on the street is a com¬ 
mon right of farmers. Those Indiana farmers had 
the right spirit. There is a mistaken idea that the 
farmers are made to spend their money in town just 
as the storekeepers decide. The fact is that the 
town does not make the farmers. The reverse is true; 
the farmers make the town and its business. When¬ 
ever they get ready to hang together the truth of this 
statement quickly appears. 
Allow me to suggest that it is telling the best way to 
do the little things that is the most help to a beginner. 
The big teachers and writers generally take it for granted 
that everybody knows those without learning. In medi 
cine this is especially true. It is pitiful to see what a 
bungle the average doctor here, who lacks hospital training, 
makes of the little things; like tying an artery or apply¬ 
ing a bandage, or even rolling a bandage or giving a 
hypodermic injection, or a dozen other things. e. h. 
We believe that is sound doctrine. We are some¬ 
times criticized for printing so much simple matter 
from plain working farmers. Some of our critics 
call this kindergarten work. They tell us to go to 
the scientists and strong or highly successful people 
entirely for information. Our position ought to be 
pretty well known by this time. The duty of the 
scientific man is to tell us why things should be done. 
This, we take it, should take second place to the task 
of telling how, for the “how” of a thing comes first 
and is most important. The only man fitted to tell 
how to do a thing is the man who does it successfully 
with his own hands. Therefore, we hunt for that 
man, whether his work is in the kindergarten or th ’ 
high school, and the plainer and simpler he puts it 
the better. Furthermore, we would like to keep the 
“how” men from usurping the job of the “why” men, 
and vice versa. 
