C'Ae RURAL NEW*YORKER 
96i 
Farm Mechanics 
Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables 
Gan you tell me how large a dehy¬ 
drator i should buy to put up the sur¬ 
plus vegetables from a garden 50x60 and 
an orchard of 50 trees? L. B. J. 
West Nyack, N. Y. 
The use of the term “dehydrator” 
would indicate that the inquirer is not 
interested in the evaporator, or “dry- 
house” method, used for so many years 
in the production of evaporated apples. 
However, so many use this form of in¬ 
quiry when they really desire informa¬ 
tion concerning the evaporator methods 
that brief attention will be paid to both 
systems. 
By the dehydrating system the fruit or 
vegetables are washed, peeled or prepared 
in whatever way is necessary to make 
them ready for immediate use after be¬ 
ing dried. They are then subjected to 
a warm dry air in sanitary cabinets in 
which they arc dried, the temperature 
never exceeding 160 under which condi¬ 
tion cell structures and the food values 
remain undisturbed in the products. 
Upon soaking them in cold water for 
a short time, they return to a perfectly 
fresh green condition. In dehydration 
the air is standardized by a pre-cooling 
and then heating system, so that opera¬ 
tion may continue regardless of atmos¬ 
pheric conditions, the capacity of the 
machine being maintained at all times. 
It is the contention of adherents of 
the dehydrating system, that by the 
evaporating method considerably more 
heat is required, approximating 212 F., 
before the drying process begins and it 
is maintained that this excessive heat 
tends to break down all structures with 
the vapor carrying off many of the food 
values. Such is the distinction between 
the two systems as claimed by the new¬ 
er school of dehydrator devotees. At 
present the evaporator method is much 
more extensively employed in caring for 
fruit, especially apples. The newer sys¬ 
tem makes equal claim of adaptability to 
vegetables as well as to fruit. 
As to the size needed by the inquirer, 
in either ease, the requirements would 
not exceed the smallest plants obtain¬ 
able. A single unit evaporator, 16 by 32, 
or 18 by 36 feet would more than care 
for the evaporating stock from an orchard 
of 50 trees. A. n. pulver. 
Waterproofing Cement Tank 
Will you tell me how to treat the walls 
of a cement tank to make it watertight? 
Charleston, Me. S. L, it. 
The walls of a concrete tank already 
built may be bru.shed over with a coat of 
neat cement, made by mixing clear Port¬ 
land cement with water to the consis¬ 
tency of cream. If there are cracks 
through the walls of the concrete tank, 
it is difficult to render it watertight and 
these should be avoided when construct¬ 
ing the tank. A method of mixing oil 
with concrete to make structure.s built of 
it waterproof is described in a bulletin 
issued by the Department of Agriculture', 
Washington, D. C., and may be had upon 
application. M. B. D. 
Curing a Leaking Chimney 
On page 701 Mrs. .1. M. complains of 
dripping chimneys. After five years' 
trouble and practical experience with this 
pest we cou(iuered it and know our idea 
to stop it entirely. We took advice from 
masons, also hardware men, and every¬ 
one else who prepared anything, but of 
no use. The creosote destroyed mop- 
l)oards, wainscoting, paper; plaster had 
to be taken off ceilings, newly put on and 
repapered, and finally we took down two 
chimneys, and rebuilt them, and still no 
help. Next we bought a new heater, and 
that did no better. Then we quit u.sing 
anything but thoroughly seasoned wood; 
still it ran by bucketsful. At last we 
tried to find out how it formed, and what 
it was. and decided it was simjile coudeu- 
satiou of smoke and hot gases in the pipe 
and chimney; also that the more the 
draft was kept down the faster the 
creosote formed. I went to my hard¬ 
ware dealer and ordei’od a new length of 
pipe; had a square hole cut in back three 
inches square, then had the tinner put on 
some slots or a guide to allow a slide to 
open and close easily. Then I put this 
length on the stove above pipe damper 
length. Damper could be put in lower 
end and slide in top end, but have the 
opening above all dampers. Then keep 
this slide open at all times unless just 
in starting fire close it to increase draft. 
The idea of it is simply to keep a current 
of air continually passing through the 
pipe and your trouble i • over. You need 
not be afraid of sparks flying out, as the 
draught keeps drawing in through the 
hole; close it and your trouble will com¬ 
mence. I might add it is best to have 
this length of pipe with the opening ver¬ 
tical. Anyone trying thks who does not 
succeed in the result write enclosing de¬ 
tails of just what has been done, and I 
will try to help. o. b. t. 
New York. 
Treatment of New Rope 
On page 847, II. G. Andrews asks how 
to treat a new rope so that it will give 
the best service. If he is thinking of ap¬ 
plying any kind of pi’eservative to the 
rope, he should be advised to “forget it,” 
as the boys say. Tar or oil of any kind 
will weaken the rope. Sailors estimate 
tarred rope to le one-third weaker than 
untreated rope. If the new rope is a 
sisal rope it may give some trouble on 
account of being too stiff. This may be 
cured by soaking in hot water and then 
stretching out to dry. If it is a manila 
rope it will be soft at the start, and if it 
is kept dry and the pulleys are so ar¬ 
ranged that the rope when used does not 
rub against anything but the pulleys it 
should give good service for a quarter of 
a century. j. m. dbew. 
Minnesota. 
Laying Out an Acre 
Would you tell me how to measure an 
acre of land off in feet as I am going to 
plant according to the acre. n. n. 
New York. 
An acre of land is 43,560 square feet. 
The dimensions of an acre plot will de¬ 
pend upon the shape you wish to lay it 
out in. If you wished it to be 200 feet 
one way, the other side would be 217 8-10 
feet; if 1.50 feet, the other side would be 
290 4-l(r feet; if 100 feet, 435 6-10 feet. 
In other words, decide on the length of 
one side, and then divide 43..560 by this 
amount. The result will be the length of 
the other side. This rule applies to plots 
having square corners, and the two oppo¬ 
site sides of equal length. Laying out an 
acre with opposite sides of unequal 
length, is a more complicated job, requir¬ 
ing the use of surveyors’ instruments and 
considerable figuring. 
Repairing a Leaky Cistern 
Referring to advice given on page 855 
for repairing a leaky cistern, I built a 
reservoir bast Summer, making the walls 
of stone laid in good mix of cement, but 
found that it leaked badly after a plaster 
coat of cement had been put on the 
stqne.^ I stopped this altogether by 
painting the walls with two coats oi 
pure cement mixed up with a water¬ 
proofing material. The waterproofing 
paste is fir.st mixed with water, and this 
is used to wet the cement to a thin slush 
that can be applied with a five or six- 
inch paint brush. If the inquirer has 
trouble from a spring breaking through 
from without the cistern, he can get a 
watertight job by applying the above 
material and making a plaster coat 
about %-ineh thick of two parts fine 
sand to one part cement. At the point 
where the spring is leaking in, put a 
short piece of pipe to carry the stream, 
and after the cement has thoroughly set 
screw on a cap. c, d. 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Cementing Cellar 
I want to cement my cellar because 
I want to keep my potatoes for Winter. 
How shall I mix the cement for the 
walls and how apply it? Also for the 
floor, if it is necessary to make a ce¬ 
mented floor? D. R. 
New Jersey. 
Cement and clean sharp sand may be 
mixed and applied to old stone walls as 
plaster, the walls first being well wetted 
to make the plaster stick. The propor¬ 
tions will vary with the character of the 
sand used, one part cement to two parts 
sand being often used. With clean, 
sharp sand a much leanev* mixture might 
suffice; your mason will be able to ad¬ 
vise you with regard to this. It is 
doubtful if a concrete floor would im¬ 
prove the cellar from the standpoint of 
keeping vegetables; in fact, it might in¬ 
jure it slightly. Save for the added con¬ 
venience and comfort, a concreted cellai’ 
floor does little for a cellar. If it is 
wished, however, a mixture of one part 
cement, two parts sand and four parts 
gravel should make a good floor. 
M. B. D. 
The taxi swayed and narrowly missed 
a policeman then swerved again as it 
dashed past another taxi, and in so do¬ 
ing just escaped collision with a lamp- 
post. “Please be careful,” pleaded the 
lady occupant of the cab. “This is the 
first time I have ever ridden in a taxi.” 
“Madam, you have my sympathy,” gasp¬ 
ed the driver. “This is the first time I 
ever drove one.”—Credit Lost. 
Here^s a 
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One feature that will appeal to every 
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Elastigum 
Waterproof Cement 
Wherever there is a leak 
you need EUastigum. It has 
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