1914. 
1937 
Waterproof Paint for Tents. 
W IIAT paint could be used on a tent 
top to stop it from leaking? Is there 
anything I could put in the paint 
to keep it fireproof? G. A. 
Ilerrin, Ill. 
I know of nothing that would fireproof a 
tent top; its very nature is opposed to it, 
as any chemicals to fireproof same would 
wash out in the rain. Cloth is fireproofed 
where used indoors; even then it takes 
two or three applications a year to hold 
it so. To paint it use one-half pound 
of alum to a gallon of water (just 
put alum in water and stir up). Wet 
top with this thoroughly; when dry, use 
linseed oil and white lead to make a paint 
to cover same. Mix as follows: one gallon 
will cover about 80 square feet on first coat 
and about 300 square feet on second coat. 
Measure tent, get what you need. Raw 
linseed oil will cost about 70 cents a 
gallon, white lead about 8% cents a 
pound. To every gallon used on first 
coat use five pounds white lead; on sec¬ 
ond coat use 12 pounds to a gallon. Mix 
for each coat separately. Just put oil 
into a tub, add as many pounds of lead 
as above, take a stick and mix it up well. 
Tie a piece of bagging or cheesecloth over 
another tub and pour paint on it and 
push it through with a brush. Do this 
both coats, and just before you start to 
use the paint, add about a wineglassful 
of liquid drier to every gallon. Brush it 
in well (I don’t mean the drier, I mean 
the paint) ; mix drier into paint well be¬ 
fore using it. A. F. B. 
TMK KURAL NBW-YORKlik 
FARM NEWS. 
Building a Water-tight Cistern. 
F ROM time to time I note queries and 
comments regarding waterproofing ce¬ 
ment construction. Several years ago in 
an engineering publication, I noticed an 
article on this subject stating that 5 per 
cent, of hydrated lime added to the ce¬ 
ment would make the concrete impervious 
to water. 
Wishing to construct a cistern of 7,000 
gallons capacity I wrote a cement com¬ 
pany regarding this matter, and their en¬ 
gineer replied that 10 pounds of hydra¬ 
ted lime added to each 100 pounds of ce¬ 
ment would be better than five, and would 
make the resulting mixture absolutely 
waterproof, and, instead of having a ten¬ 
dency to weaken the concrete he stated it 
would possibly have the opposite effect. 
We dug the desired hole and placed 
four inches of concrete on bottom, which 
we kept covered with water during the 
night; following morning had carpenters 
place casing, allowing four-inch walls 
all around the cistern. 
We were careful to have the mixture 
very thin and tamped it thoroughly, plac¬ 
ing the entire amount without allowing 
any to set. 
As soon as the cement had become 
hard we turned water in and found we 
had a perfectly tight job, except one 
small leak about IS inches from the top, 
where the mixture was not quite thin 
enough. Below this point we have let 
water stand for several months, and none 
whatever leaks away. It was never nec¬ 
essary to brush or smooth-coat any por¬ 
tion of this work except the small hole 
mentioned previously. E. J. w. 
Ditching in the South. 
W E have a traction ditching machine, 
contractors’ size, cuts a trench six 
feet deep and 19 inches wide. We 
have been working with it this Fall in 
this locality, and as we shall be unable 
to use it this Winter I would like to in¬ 
quire if there are any prospects of get¬ 
ting drainage jobs anywhere in the South 
that would pay to ship the machine there 
for the Winter? We can do machine 
trenching, which is better than hand 
work, for about one-half what it costs 
to do the work by hand in this locality, 
and as tiling has grown so popular in 
the last few years, think perhaps if we 
could hear of a locality that needs it, 
and the farmers are able to have it done, 
we could work up some business that 
would be of benefit to the community as 
well as ourselves. l. w. s. 
Gowanda, N. Y. 
Our suggestion is to write the directors 
of the Southern Experiment stations. 
You will find them on page 1172. They 
would be likely to know of any localities 
where such ditching is being done. The 
U. S. Government has on hand some ex¬ 
periments at draining land in the South. 
“Wiiat’s wheat worth now?’’ “It all 
depends,” replied Farmer Corntossel, “on 
whether you’re raisin’ it or usin’ it fur 
food.”—Washington Star. 
Fifteen silos a day in Texas for the 
past 12 months is establishing these evi¬ 
dences of prosperity rather rapidly. On 
September 1, 1914. there were 8,560 silos 
in the State, and their original cost was 
$4,520,000. Nearly 5,000 orders were in 
the hands of manufacturers for silos to 
be established before the close of the 
present year. Two-thirds of those al¬ 
ready established were built during the 
past year. 
A great rat hunt was the diversion of 
the farmers at Findlay, Ohio, recently 
when they made a record of 23,938 rats 
killed. The Nimrods were divided in 
two parties and the penalty imposed on 
the losing side was to furnish a banquet 
for the side with the larger number to 
their credit. Boys and men entered the 
game enthusiastically. A suggestion for 
the agricultural colleges is to establish 
a “Swat the rat” day along with “Swat 
the rooster” and other days deserving of 
enthusiastic celebration. 
The California olive crop is reported 
to be one of the largest in the history 
of the State, being 85% of normal crop. 
It amounts to about 15.000 tons, and is 
worth $2,000,000. This is easily the 
largest crop since 1011. The foreign 
olive crop is light in some sections and 
heavy in others, and considerable dam¬ 
age has been done in the Eastern Hemi¬ 
sphere in localities by the olive fly. Har¬ 
vesting will commence in Southern Cali¬ 
fornia the last of October and farther 
north a little later. 
With market in Germany for American 
apples shut off. and with that in England 
seriously curtailed, the situation de¬ 
mands that growers pack and handle 
fruit for markets in such condition as 
to prevent deterioration, pack only No. 
1 fruit, and divert other fruit to the 
cider mills ;nnd evaporators. The apple 
situation was discussed recently by the 
committee on Fruit and Agriculture of 
the Boston Chamber of Commerce. Here 
it was shown that the retail dealer can 
buy No. 1 apples for from $1.75 to $2.25 
a barrel, which only means a small re¬ 
turn for the producer. The fixed charges 
against each barrel of apples, it was 
found, amount from 18 to 25 cents; cost 
of barrel, 30 to 42 cents; cost of pack¬ 
ing 25 or 30 cents; delivery to car aver¬ 
age 10 cents; freight 25 cents; whole¬ 
saler’s commission 20 cents; cost of cart¬ 
age six cents, and jobber’s profit 25 
cents, making the fixed charges against 
each bairel range from $1.45 to $1.58. 
At present prices in Boston, the re¬ 
turns for a barrel of No. 1 fruit are only 
about 50 cents a barrel for first quality, 
and only the best grade of fruit can be 
offered if the demand is to be stimulated. 
It has been found in Wisconsin that 
onion smut may be easily controlled by 
use of a formaldyhyde solution in the 
drill. Danger in loss by cabbage dis¬ 
eases, particularly yellows, has been re¬ 
duced by breeding up a strain which 
when planted on diseased land, produced 
a fine crop of healthy marketable cab¬ 
bage. This was done by keeping for 
seed plants which were able to withstand 
the attacks of the parasite. From such 
seed a 98 per cent, crop has been pro¬ 
duced when planted on soil on which or¬ 
dinary seed did not produce more than 
five per cent, of a crop. The disease-re¬ 
sistant strains, together with careful 
seed disinfection, will increase the yield 
and encourage growers to increase their 
acreage. 
Lawyer: “Your wife must be at the 
trial. A weeping woman is very effec¬ 
tive with a jury.” Prisoner: “But I’d 
have to choke her to make her weep! 
And that might sour the unmarried 
jurors on me!”—Daily News. 
Get The Hidden 
Treasure From Your 
Stump Land 
Every stump on your farm tabes up 
' from 100 to 400 sq. ft. of rich ground 
that would be yielding bumper 
crops. Take ont the stumps! New land 
often yields $200to $200 protit the first year. 
HERCULES 
All Steel Triple Power 
Stump Puller 
Clears an acre a day. Make money clear¬ 
ing neighbors’ farms. Sold on trial 30 days. 
Three years Guaranty. Special introduc¬ 
tory price on immediate orders. POSTAL. 
B LUNGS BLG FLiEE CATALOG. 
GALVANIZED 
Wiite for l at. C” and price del. your station. 
GRIFFIN LUMBER CO.. Box 99. Hudson Falls, New York 
ROOFING 
$2.90 Per Sq. 
Y OUR wife your family must be the first consideration in buying 
an automobile. When the car drives up to the door and the 
neighbors notice the new acquisition to the family, it’s half the 
joy of life to hear them say, “What a beautiful car —that isn’t the 
common kind — I wonder what make it is.” 
If you hear it—and she hears it—there are a couple of joyous 
thrills running up and down two spines. YOU KNOW IT. 
But your part—the man’s part—is to see that beauty 
is not skin deep. 
It’s your part to see that under the hood there is an 
engine that is a real engine; an engine of power; an 
engine of stamina; an engine of long life. 
And it s your part to know that the construction of 
the car means ‘‘safety first” to every member of 
the family. It s your part to have such confidence in 
the mechanical construction that you know when you 
begin your journey, whether it be long or short, you 
will come back just as you started. 
Beauty comfort safety—speed—long life—freedom from 
engine worry—gasoline economy— all the modern conveniences- 
such as vacuum feed, power tire pump, the latest word in silent 
starters two unit, three point construction—one man top_these 
are a few of the things you should have in your new car. 
And you get them in the new Mitchell 1915 masterpiece — 
and at a price that staggers other automobile makers. 
John Bate’s engineering skill is at its best in the new models. 
He has made this a Mitchell year. 
The factory is working to its fullest capacity to supply the 
demand. If you contemplate buying a car now or later, you 
should see the new Mitchells first. 
Your dealer can demonstrate their exclusive 
features to you — or, you can read about 
them if you write for Mitchell Book No. 121 
The Mitchell Line for 19IS 
Mitchell Light Four—two and five 
passengers — 4 cylinders — 35 
horse power — 116 inch wheel 
base—34x4 tires.$1,250 
Mitchell Light Four—6 passengers— 
same as above.$1,300 
Mitchell Special Six—2 or 5 passen¬ 
gers—6 cylinders —50 horse 
power—132 inch wheel base— 
36x4% tires.$1,835 
Mitchell Special Six—6 passengers— 
same as above.$1,995 
Mitchell Six De Luxe—7 passengers—6 cylinders—144 inch wheel base—60 
horse power—37 x 5 tires. $2,350 F. O. B. Racine 
