1913. 
369 
FARM ENGINEERING NOTES. 
Trouble with Ram. 
I have a hydraulic ram on my farm and 
have some trouble with it. I have a good 
spring, with large concrete basin; have 12 
feet of fall, 395 feet of lead pipe with a 
rise of about 100 feet. The ram works per¬ 
fectly all the time, furnishes the house 
with running water and is taken from bouse 
to water trough ; seldom stops except with 
some small object under valve, but will get 
so that it will not throw water, although 
the ram is pumping away. After having 
taken off the air-chamber or removing the 
shifting valve until the water drains out 
of air-chamber the ram throws water per¬ 
fectly for a week or perhaps two and 
some times a month. The ram has been 
working for about 17 years with only five 
cents expense for leather packing. For 
about the first 10 years it gave very little 
trouble, but the last few years it will 
throw water only a short time without this 
draining process. Could you suggest what 
might be the cause of this? Could there 
be a remedy found for this trouble I would 
have a very fine water system. As it is 
though, it is the cheapest fix for water 
that I know of. a. o. k. 
Ohio. 
By “throwing water” is usually meant, 
in the case of a ram, the discharge of the 
waste water. It is another way of saying 
that the ram is running. Evidently, how¬ 
ever, from the rest of your letter, you mean 
that at times your ram, although running, 
does not pump the water. If the ram runs 
and yet does not pump, the only apparent 
cause is that there is no pressure in the 
air chamber. As it works again after 
cleaning out the air chamber, I am inclined 
to think that the valve leading into the 
air chamber from the ram does not seat 
properly at times so that, although the ram 
acts and the water is forced into the cham¬ 
ber, it runs out again before the valve 
closes. The cause may be one of three 
things. It is possible that, having been 
running so long, the valve or valve seat is 
unevenly woim out, when the valve happens 
to turn so as to close in one particular 
position, it is not tight while in other 
positions it is all right. It may be that 
there is some deposit of sand or some other 
substance which becomes so thick on the 
seat after a little while as to prevent clos¬ 
ing. Or a third possibility Is that a simi¬ 
lar deposit after a time becomes so thick 
as to prevent the valve closing quickly, 
although allowing it to close. I would ad¬ 
vise you to regrind the valve seat and get 
a new valve. If you have had no experi¬ 
ence in regrinding valve seats, it would 
pay you to have it done by an experienced 
man. R. P. c. 
Roofing for Porch. 
We have a shed-roof back of the house. 
The bedroom windows open on to it, and 
if it were level it would make a fine porch. 
We do not want to roof it over. We want 
to make it as level as possible, and still 
shed water. What would you suggest for 
a porch floor there which will be water¬ 
tight, and will also not be hurt by people 
walking on it? Anything like roofing paper 
would of course soon wear out. b. m. 
Oakham, Mass. 
There are any number of good l'oofing 
materials you could use, and to choose the 
best one merely means to know which you 
can get tho easiest near your home for 
the pi’ice you want to pay. The best-look¬ 
ing, best-wearing and most satisfactory in 
every way would be a roof made of the arti¬ 
ficial stone known as “composition flooring” 
described in these columns June 8, 1912, 
page 682. Most of the patented roofings of 
high grade with a stone finish will be satis¬ 
factory. If the roof is all right as it is, 
so far as shedding water is concerned, a 
wooden floor over it would be all right 
to walk on and, if you left space between 
it and the shed roof so that any water going 
through the floor would be shed by the roof, 
It would probably be as satisfactory as any¬ 
thing. b. p. c. 
Cellar Icehouse. 
I have an old house which is occupied 
as a work-shop, and it has a good cellar 
under it. Would it be advisable to use 
the cellar for an icehouse during the Sum¬ 
mer ? w. n. 
New York. 
Probably your cellar would make over 
into an icehouse, but it would need con¬ 
siderable work done on it, no doubt. The 
main principles are to have the walls as 
nearly non-conducting as possible, have 
good drainage but with the floor also not 
conducting, and have plenty of ventilation 
at the top over the layer of sawdust, in 
order to keep that sawdust dry and non¬ 
conducting. The nearer you can come to 
keeping all the cold bottled up with the 
ice and all the heat locked out from the 
Ice, the better your ice will keep. For 
a floor, use loose boards put on joists with 
THE RURAh NEW-YORKER 
six or eight inches of sawdust on top. Pro¬ 
vide good drainage from the floor, but be 
careful not to let the air get in. The 
walls should be made double but, if that 
seems impossible, keep the ice at least a 
foot from the walls all around, filling in 
that space with dry sawdust. Ontop use 
plenty of sawdust, a foot is none too much, 
but it must be kept dry. This may be done 
if the top is open to good ventilation. 
R. P. C. 
Forms of Electricity. 
Is there any difference in electricity as 
applied to the human system by ordinary 
batteries with chemicals in solution, or dry 
chemicals as used in batteries, or electricity 
that is generated by friction for lighting 
purposes? How can there be any difference 
in electricity, and how or what different 
effect will it have on the human system? 
There are those here who teach that there 
Is great difference in the source from which 
it Is obtained. a. a. 
Washington. 
Electricity is the same substance no mat¬ 
ter whether it is generated by chemical ac¬ 
tion, by friction or by any other way of 
the many ways in which it is possible to 
generate it. Just in the same way, water 
is the same substance whether it is in the 
form of ice, of water, or of steam. Yet, 
although water consists of a combination 
of oxygen and hydrogen and it is the 
same combination in whatever form the 
water is, we know that steam will act on 
a thing differently from what ice will. 
That is because steam has certain 
properties that ice has not. It may 
be because steam is at a higher 
temperature than ice or steam may be 
under' pressure while ice is not. Just 
so with electricity. When generated by 
friction, electricity is at high “potential” or 
pressure, while when generated by chemical 
action, it is at a low “potential” or pres¬ 
sure. The electricity generated by friction 
is generally (although incorrectly! called 
“static” electricity. It is one of the same 
nature as that which causes lightning, the 
“northern lights,” etc., and which is found 
in the atmosphere. On a dry, cold morn¬ 
ing as you comb your hair, you hear it 
crackling because of the discharge of “sta¬ 
tic” electricity. If you tear up a piece of 
paper into fine bits and bring near them 
a glass rod or chimney, or a piece of seal¬ 
ing wax which has been rubbed briskly with 
fur, silk, or wool, the paper will jump 
towards the glass and after a little while if 
the paper is in real small pieces, the bits 
will fly away from the glass. This is all 
due to “static” electricity. It was the only 
kind known until about 1800. Then elec¬ 
tricity generated chemically was discovered 
by Galvani. This is known as “galvanic” 
electricity and is what is obtained from bat¬ 
teries. Afterwards, electric dynamos be¬ 
came known and the electricity obtained in 
that way is called “dynamic” electricity. 
A11 these names are for the purpose of dis¬ 
tinguishing the method of generating the 
electricity, but it is the same substance 
generated each time. As to its effects on 
the human system, if the exact truth be 
told, no person can be sure of what the 
real permanent effect js anyway, but there 
is no reason to suspect that merely the 
difference in the manner of generation 
would produce a difference in the action. 
Any one of the ways could be nsed to gen¬ 
erate electricity to kill a person, if proper 
arrangements were made. Likewise, elec¬ 
tricity generated in any one of the three 
ways mentioned is perfectly harmless If 
passed through the body under proper con¬ 
ditions. Undoubtedly electricity generated 
chemically by means of a battery is most 
commonly used by the medical profession, 
but the reasons are the ease and conveni¬ 
ence in handling and the fact that the 
potential or pressure of the electricity gen¬ 
erated in the battery is more convenient 
for their purpose. There is no difference 
between a dry battery and a wet battery 
except that In the former the liquid Is 
soaked up In sawdust or blotting paper in 
place of being allowed to slop around freely. 
B. P. C. 
Watery Milk. 
Will you let me know what to do for 
a cow with watery milk? One of our 
cows which freshened last September, 1912, 
Is due to freshen in July, 1013. The milk 
from her hind teats became watery or 
colorless a month ago. I have been bath¬ 
ing her udder with hot water and rubbing 
it with an ointment of one cup of melted 
lard and two tablespoonfuls of gum 
camphor. The cow next to her freshened 
last May, is due this May and also has 
the same trouble. The milk from her three 
quarters became watery a week ago. Both 
of these cows are Ilolsteins, the first weigh¬ 
ing about 1.200 pounds; the other 900 
pounds. I am feeding equal parts, by 
weight, of bran, eornmeal, dried brewers’ 
graius, gluten and beet -pulp and give 
them one pound of feed to three 
pounds of milk, also all the hay they will 
eat. The hay Is wild Red-top and other 
grasses from a swamp of black muck. 
New York. j. t. 
Give the xidder a thorough hand rubbing 
two or throe times a day to stimulate a 
more perfect circulation of the bloo<l in the 
part and at uiglit rub with brandy. Never 
use a strong ointment of camphor in such 
a case : for tills medicine tends to stop milk 
secretion. The ration you are feeding is 
calculated to bring out all of the possibili¬ 
ties that.this, cow has for rich milk produc¬ 
tion ; it may be concluded, therefore, that 
the condition of the milk mentioned is due 
to some local condition of the mammary 
glands. It would be well to have this cow 
take some exercise out of doors every day. 
A. S. A. 
Value of Roots «s Cow Feed. 
What are mangel wurzel beets worth per 
bushel to feed to dairy cows? Also the 
value of rutabagas per bushel for the same 
purpose? h. n. H. 
Elmira, N. Y. 
It is hard to compare a watery or “suc¬ 
culent” food like roots with grain or dry 
forage, because the roots have a value out¬ 
side of the actual nutriment they contain. 
They have a tonic or laxative effect which 
is very valuable, especially when they are 
fed with dry grain or hay. For example, 
the only safe way to feed cotton-seed meal 
freely is to feed silage or roots or pasture 
grass at the same time. In fact the silage 
and the l-oots are supposed to give a fair 
Winter feeding substitute for pasture grass. 
The following table gives tho comparative 
value of various roots by the side of corn 
silage and several common grain feeds. The 
mangels contain more protein than silage, 
but less of the other classes of foods. As 
will be seen the rutabagas contain about the 
same nutriment as the mangels, but we can¬ 
not safely feed them to dairy cows as they 
give the 'milk a bad taste and smell. 
Pounds in One Ton. 
Corn silage . 
Protein 
. . . 18 
Carbo¬ 
hydrates 
225 
Fat 
14 
Potatoes .... 
... 18 
320 
2 
Mangels .. . . 
22 
100 
2 
Rutabaga ... 
,.. . 20 
160 
4 
Carrots .... 
. . . 16 
160 
4 
Cabbage .... 
160 
8 
Pumpkin .... 
... 20 
160 
6 
Corn grain . 
...160 
1300 
80 
Oats grain . . 
...180 
950 
80 
Wheat bran 
... 250 
750 
55 
Get A Canadian Home 
In Western Canada’s 
Free Homestead Area 
Th« Province ofIhas several 
Manitoba!^, 30 ^ 
trlcto that afford rare opportu¬ 
nity to secure 180 Acres of 
excellent agricultural land FREE. 
For Grain Growing 
Cattle Raising 
thla Province has no superior 
and In profitable agriculture shows an 
unbroken period of over a quarter of a 
century. 
Perfect Climate; Good Markets; Rail¬ 
ways Convenient; 8oil the very best, and 
social conditions most desirable. 
Vacant lands adjacent to Free Home¬ 
steads may be purchased and also In the 
older Districts lands may be bought at 
reasonable prices. 
For Further Particulars, address 
J. S. Crawford 
301 E. Genesee St. 
Syracuse, N. Y. 
or write Superintendent of Immigration. 
Ottawa, Canada. 
r ruis, dairy ana garden, exception¬ 
al opportunities in every county of 
State, where farming pays best. Prin¬ 
cipal brokers are co-operating under 
name of FARM BROKERS' ASSOCIATION OF 
N. Y. STATE. Buyers derive the benefit. 
Address Secretary, Bax D, Oneida, New lark 
for Free Bulletin just issned. 
From this table we see that it would 
require over 700 pounds of mangels to pro¬ 
vide the protein to be found in 100 Dounds 
of eornmeal. Yet without question a part 
of this protein fed in the form of mangels 
would enable the animal to digest the corn- 
meal to better advantage. We have never 
considered that any comparative analysis 
of roots or silage-uses a fair way of 
stating their feeding value for no one can 
properly estimate the value of the “succu¬ 
lence” or laxative property which they con- 
ta i n.__ 
NEW YORK STATE FARMS. AHSS 
Ing in farms throughout New York State. Reference 
on request. Catalog sent to prospective purchasers. 
C. L. YAGER A CO.. 736 Press Bldg., Binghamton. 5. T 
WE SELL GOOD FARMS in Oceana, greatest fruit Co. 
•* in U. S.: abo grain, potatoes. Alfalfa, dairying. 
Write for list, etc. HANSON & SON, Hart, Mich. 
O NE of the Bent Farms on the Banks of the Hudson, 210 acres ; 
6 miles of river view ; 60 acres in standard varieties of fruit; 
100 acres of dark sandy loam; 1 mile from boat landing ; K mile 
from W. S. R.R. ; 1 new house with modern improvements ; 1 
farm house, 2 tenant houses ; mostly slate roofs ; no brush or 
stone. Will sell all or part. Elias Gates, Owner, Coxaseklo, N. I. 
Save &i5 to SiO. Get best bu^gy yon ever rode in. Book show9 
140styles made-to-order Split Hickory Vehicles, also foil and 
”1 complete line of harness. Sold direct to you, no middlemen’s/^ 
profit. Io7,000 Split Hickories now in use. ir 
iilre* M30 Days’ Free Road Test—2 Yrs. Guarantee Ip 
Auto Seat Buggies, Runabouts, Surries, Driving Carts, Car- Vr“ 
jpBRO* *iaj?es. Spring Wagons, etc.—all genuine Split Hickories Get 
thi3 big free book at once no matter where von buy Phelps ^ 
■pgllfc even pays the postage, so all you have to do is send a postal N 
or letter tonight. Address H. C. Phelps, President. 
THE OHIO CARRIAGE MANUFACTURING CO., Station 290, 
ux. y buno may an aeps ior one yearon me product or one acre or land. Think ontl 
Keeping seven head of cattle for a year from one acre goes a long way toward reducing the ccat 
of milk. 70 tons and 800 pounds of EUREKA CORN was raised on one acre in 1911, and we beHeve 
Eureka Com can still beat this, but no other kind ever has, and we believe never can equal it. 
Figuring at the rate of 50 pounds of ensilage per day, which is a liberal allowance, this amount 
will feed seven cows for one year and enough left over for 261 feeds. 
EUREKA CORN was introduced by us over 20 years ago. It is a white, smooth dent com and 
grows the tallest of any known variety, has tho most leaf, and if planted thin will produce 
/ ears. It was grown successfully last year in 43 different states. Planting Eureka Corn is as 
good as an insurance policy. It grows where other kinds fail. 
EUREKA CORIM 
{Grows Tallest—Has Most Leaves—Greatest Number of Ears 
’This corn was planted last year by more successful farmers than any other variety, and it wlltprodoce 
Xnjore tous and more dollars' worth of good milk-producing feed per acre than any other kind of com. 
This has been proven many times over. Why plant corn that will only produce 15 to 25 tons per 
acre when you can just as well grow 50'to 60 tons per acre? 
Sheffield's World Prize Flint Corn still holds the record of 123.8 bushels of crib-dry com per 
acre. This record was made in 1911 at the New England Corn Show. It was also awarded 
a silver medal in 1912 by the Worcester County Horticultural Society. Wtri ntroduced these 
tfeVO varieties and are very protldof the fact. We have other farm an.I garden Medsj ustas good. 
ILet us send you our 1913 cat a login*. It is a guide to success for the coming year. It tells 
lyou all about these wonderful varieties of corn, also our complete line of seeds, old and new. 
Seed corn and seed graius are two of our specialties. 
Caution. l>on*t accept of any yellow dent or white horse-tooth com as Eureka, We 
received several letters last year from parties who were unable to get their Eureka from us 
and claimed that they had received froiuother dealers corn marked Eureka which was entirely 
different from the genuine. Eureka Corn shelled is always shipped in our trade-marked b 
and ear corn is shipped in rat-proof crates holding 70pounds. 
Either bay direct of us or some of our agents who have the geuuiue. Write at once for catalogue. 
ROSS BROS* CO., 07 Front St«, Worcester, Mass. 
Your fruit is not at its best in 
yield, flavor, color or shipping 
qualities unless the Potash supply 
is adequate and available. 
A fertilizer for fruit should contain 
at least 12% Potash 
Many growers use annually 200 lbs. Muriate 
of Potash per acre. 
Potash also insures strong wood and early and 
continuous bearing. 
Write us for prices if your dealer doesn’t 
carry Potash Salts; also for our free books 
with formulas and directions. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, Inc; 
42 Broadway, New York 
Monadnock Block, Chicago 
Whitney Central Bank Bldg., N«w Orleans 
Bank h Trust Bldg., Savannah 
Empire Bldg., Atlanta San Francisco, Cal. 
