1010. 
THE RURAlj NEW-YORKER 
809 
HOT WATER HEATING. 
After trying for over 20 years to heat 
our house with stoves, we coldly gave 
up the attempt, and had a hot water 
heater installed. To say it gives satis¬ 
faction is putting it very mildly indeed 
—we would not be without it for double 
its cost. Our house is a large one, six 
rooms downstairs, five rooms upstairs. 
On a street corner (see Fig. 392) it is 
in a cold location, but with the hot 
water we easily keep all the rooms at a 
uniform heat. On coldest days we 
sometimes turn off the heat from least 
used rooms and get extra warmth in 
the living rooms. Our plant was put in 
by contract with our village plumber, 
and cost a total of $287.50, but we are 
sure any handy man with a set of 
plumber’s tools and spare time could do 
it at about half the cost. We have four 
large radiators downstairs and three 
small ones upstairs. The uppermost 
radiators seem to heat up more quickly, 
and our three heat the five bedrooms 
sufficiently, the doors between being 
open. 
We burn 5)4 tons of coal a Winter, 
keeping the house comfortably warm all 
over. One slight objection we have is 
that the floors in the two living rooms 
which are over the heater in the cellar 
below, dry out and cracks appear be¬ 
tween the boards. During the Summer 
A DUG-OUT ICEHOUSE. 
T. E. Xorth Adams, Mass .—Is an ice¬ 
house feasible constructed as follows? A 
dug-out in hillside, with four walls plas¬ 
tered with cement on inside; cement bot¬ 
tom with drain, if clay soil, but no bottom 
of cement ' or drain if soil is gravel; a 
wooden roof, with ventilator; door in 
gable on ground level; the soil removed in 
excavating in hillside to be put about the 
outside walls; hoist and fixed ladder just 
inside door. The general plan is that of 
a small cellar roofed over. Is it all right? 
Ans.—I t would be possible to keep ice 
in an icehouse constructed in the man¬ 
ner described, but whether the bottom 
of the icehouse is on clay or gravel it 
would be better to cement the bottom 
so as to have a firm surface upon which 
to lay two-by-fours flatwise, or still bet¬ 
ter, on edge, to serve as a non-conducter 
between the ice and the soil. It would 
be necessary also to leave a generous 
space between the walls and the ice for 
sawdust to insulate the ice from the 
warmth of the ground, as where so small 
a volume of ice is stored as appears to 
be contemplated, the amount which 
would be wasted by melting around the 
sides would be very large when com¬ 
pared with the amount stored. In order 
to plaster successfully on the wall the 
soil would have to be very firm to stand. 
A much better icehouse would be made 
if hollow building tile were used to lay 
against the bank instead of plastering 
A COLD CORNER COMFORTABLE WITH HOT WATER. Fig. 392. 
these cracks close up as the floor swells. 
Each radiator is, of course, very heavy, 
and in some of our rooms bears down 
the floor to create a crack between that 
and the baseboard. Perhaps in a new 
house this would not happen. We 
would advise anyone to pay a few dol¬ 
lars more, and get those radiators with 
long legs, as the ones with the ordinary 
legs come so close to the floor it is 
difficult thoroughly to clean under them. 
The hot water heater has very advan¬ 
tage over stoves. Being so clean and 
requiring less attention, it is a labor 
saver. Except in the coldest weather 
it needs attention only twice a day— 
night and. morning. Besides the pri¬ 
mary purpose of heating air, we find the 
radiators very useful to warm our 
clothes and shoe's, to dry damp or ironed 
clothes, to warm overshoes, boots, coats, 
etc. We even place newly mixed bread 
on top of the radiator to rise. Nothing 
is ever burned, but a few minutes’ heat¬ 
ing makes the garment cosy to slip into. 
It is also nice for children’s clothes and 
night garments. Even the cat has 
learned where to perch herself for a 
warm nap, but she prefers a cover under 
her. We like to seat ourselves on a 
radiator when we come in from the 
cold. G. C. RUTTER. 
New Jersey. 
Treatment of Alfalfa. 
I have a field of this year’s seeding of 
Alfalfa. It has grown about six inches 
since cutting off the oats. Would you ad¬ 
vise cutting it. and when would you put 
manure on, if any? j. f. k. 
Manlius, N. Y. 
We should let the crop grow until about 
September 15, and then cut it. Just as the 
ground freeze's give a light covering of fine 
manure. 
on the earth. This would give a firm 
wall and a better non-conducter to hold 
back the heat from the soil. 
F. H. KING. 
MUSKRATS AND CEMENT TILE. 
In a bulletin which the United States 
Government has just issued on the musk¬ 
rat it is stated that that animal causes 
many farmers on the coast injury by 
gnawing holes through the tide gates 
which they have put in their dikes, by 
means of which they can either keep the 
tide out, or let it in. I am desirous of 
building just such a gate. Could you get 
me some information as to the best 
method of construction? 
Also, I would like to hear something 
from farmers who have tried making 
their own cement tile. I have seen the 
matter referred to once or twice in the 
paper, but have not seen any responses. 
I am well situated for making my own 
tile, but have hesitated about buying a 
machine until I could get the experience 
of others who have had practical educa¬ 
tion in the manufacture. j. g. b. 
Seattle, Wash. 
R. N.-Y.—We have asked several times 
about homemade cement tile. Can any¬ 
one give practical experience? 
Sowing Rye with Corn. 
Can I sow rye with corn without culti¬ 
vating it in? The corn is so high now 
I could not cultivate it in without hurt¬ 
ing the corn. Or could I sow it after the 
corn is cut? Would it be too late in the 
season ? w. 
Massachusetts. 
You will not get a good stand of rye 
by simply sowing it on top of the ground 
unless the field is wet as mud. The grain 
should be cultivated in. We should wait 
until the corn is cut and then cultivate 
the rye in. 
Farm Home Comfort 
Old-fashioned heating 
methods do one thing well 
—they provide an astonish¬ 
ing number of variations in 
the temperature. At one 
spot in the room there is a 
fine temperature for burn¬ 
ing your face—while your 
back is freezing. In a far 
comer of the room the 
temperature is or seems to 
be somewhat colder than 
it is out of doors. 
^ icans Ideal 
MORS ^lBOILERS 
will heat all the rooms with little more coal 
and care than a parlor stove, save an im¬ 
mense amount of housework for the women 
(caused by coal-dirt, ashes and gases), save 
lugging coal and ashes up and down stairs, 
make the home healthful and happy. No 
repairs necessary, and outfits outlast most any building. No fire risk and lowest 
insurance rate. 
IDEAL Boilers throw off just enough heat in the cellar to prevent freezing and insure 
best storage of vegetables; burn hard or soft coal, lignite, or wood; require no city 
water supply pipes — system once filled lasts all winter. 
Boiler needs attention usually twice a day. Fire lasts all 
winter — no rekindling. 
Let us tell you of your neighbors who have 
these outfits, and of the many thousands 
that are sold all over America, Europe and 
Australia. We cannot tell all in one ad¬ 
vertisement — let us send you full informa¬ 
tion — puts you under no obligation to buy. 
A No. list IDEAL Boiler and 
310 ft. of 38-in. AMERICAN 
Radiators, costing the owner 
$ 155 , were used to Hot-Water 
heat this cottage. 
At these prices the goods can be 
bought of any reputable, com¬ 
petent Fitter. This did not in¬ 
clude cost of labor, pipe, valves, 
freight, etc,, which Installation is 
extra and varies according to 
climatic and other conditions. 
IDEAL Boilers and AMERICAN Radi¬ 
ators are put in without tearing floors 
or partitions, nor disturbing old heating 
methods until ready to start fire in the 
new. Write today for catalogue, “Ideal 
Heating Investments.” 
Showrooms in all 
large cities 
^MERICANK ADIATOR fl OMPANY 
Write to Dept 9 
Chicago 
The right protection 
You ought to have roofs made of the real, 
natural waterproofer—Trinidad Lake asphalt— 
for every building on your farm. 
Genasco 
Ready Roofing 
is made of Trinidad Lake asphalt. It doesn’t crack, rot, 
rust, or blow off; and it lasts longer than any other 
roofing. 
The Kant-leak Kleet insures ag-ainst leaky seams. 
Does away with cement. Supplied with Genasco when 
specified. 
Write for samples and the Good Roof Guide Book. Ask your dealer for 
Genasco, and look for the hemisphere trade-mark. Minefal or smooth surface. 
A written guarantee—if you think it necessary. 
THE BARBER ASPHALT PAVING COMPANY 
Largest producers of asphalt, and largest 
manufacturers of ready roofing in the world. 
PHILADELPHIA 
New York San Francisco Chicago 
Cross-section, Genasco Smooth-surface Ready Roofing 
Trinidad Lake Asphalt 
=•~ = Asphalt-saturated W 00 1 Felt 
Trinidad Lake Asphalt 
We have a size to suit your power and requirements. Get one 
of these guaranteed outfits 
now. Lumber is high. The 
mill will soon pay for it¬ 
self. No experience needed. 
No Belts, Springs or compli¬ 
cated parts to get out of 
order or cause trouble. 
The sawer has complete 
control of Variable Fric¬ 
tion Feedwith one hand; slight motion of lever changes 
speed. Other time and labor saving devices enable 
this mill to saw more lumber with less power and 
less help than any other. Free Mill Book explains 
and lists our complete line of wood working machin¬ 
ery. Write for it today. 
AMERICAN SAW MILL MACHINERY CO. 
129 Hope St.. Hackettstown. N. J. 1582 Terminal Bldgs.. New York 
