1316 
She RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Novcnibor 17, 1917 
practical purposes by selecting a place in the stream, 
not necessarily where the dam is to he built, where 
the channel is fairly straight and uniform and the 
velocity is not too great, and setting two stakes on 
the hank at a known distance from each other—say 
100 feet, or greater if the nature of the stream per¬ 
mits it. With this distance carefully established, 
Ihi-ow in a light float above the upi)er stake and 
time its passage between the two. A stoii-watch is 
Iieat for this purpose, two observers working to¬ 
gether, the lower one signaling when the float passes 
his station. Dividing the distance in feet between 
the station by the time required for the passage of 
the float in minutes will give the velocity of the float 
in feet ])er minute. Several trials should he made 
cord 
/O' 
Water Surface 
JO' 
B ; 
to \\ id , 
C ^ Oh 
E N 
d 
Lj 
’OSS section 
Stream. 
J_^ 
W' 
Zotci area 9 area area O area C -f- area O 
•^area £ d- area F 
Measuring Cross Section of River. Pig. 601 
tind their average taken for best results. The veloc¬ 
ity of the float is measured at the surface near the 
center of the stream, the place where the water 
flows the swiftest, and about four-fifths, or SO per 
<ent of this should be taken as the probably actual 
vfdoclty of the stream. 
The fall, or head, is measured by a level. A level 
line is run from the top of the proposed dam to a 
point over where it is desired to idace the wheel. 
.\ vertical measurement it then taken between this 
line and the level of the water in the proposed tail 
race. This vertical distance reiiresents the total 
fall, or head. If an engineers level cannot ho ob¬ 
tained, fairly good results can be obtained by the 
use of a carpenter's level, sighting over its toj). X 
jiair of sights that can be bought at any hardware 
store for a little money are a big help here. 
'fhe cross sectional area of the stream can be de¬ 
termined by measuring the width from edge to 
♦•dge of the water at some point of av(‘rage width 
between the stakes us(‘d to secure the velocity nieas- 
nremeuts, and dividing it into ecpial distances as in 
the sketch, Fig. 001. This can be <lone, in the case 
of a small stream, by stretching a cord across and 
marking the divisions on it. The depth is then ob¬ 
tained at ea<-h division, as shown, after which the 
total area can be found by adding the areas of the 
various sections, A, B, F, etc., comj)nted separately, 
q'he areas of the two triangles (A) and (F) can be 
found by multiplying the base (10 feet in this case) 
by one-half the altitude, or 4 in the case of triangle 
(.\). The areas of (he trapezoids (B), (C). (D), 
(E) are found by multiplying the base by one-half 
the sum of the two parallel sides. In the case shown 
area of trapezoid (E) W’ould be 10 (ba.se) X 0 plus 7 
(one-half the sum of the two parallel sides) = SO 
square feet. 
Multiplying the total area found as above by the 
v('locity of the water as determined, will give the 
cubic feet of water discharged per minute, which, 
when multiplied by 02.5, will give the weight of 
watpr discharged in the same length of time. The 
weight discharged per minute, multiplied by the 
head, or fall, in feet (determined by the level), will 
give the foot pounds that a stream is capable of do¬ 
ing in one miniite's time, and this product, when di¬ 
vided by 33,000, will, as before stated, give the the¬ 
oretical horse-power of the stream. Due to certain 
losses, however, that are bound to occur, it is sel- 
doTu that more than 75 per cent of this can be real¬ 
ized. 
The manufacturers of the water wheels and wheel 
machinery will send i>a'mphlets which give much 
information about these things. 
I do npt know the proper authorities to ask for the 
privilege of raising your dam, but no doubt such a 
request addressed to the Chairman Conservation 
Commission, Richmond, Va., would at least he re¬ 
ferred to the proper authorities. There might be 
some adjustments to make, dup to water backing 
up, if this addition to the dam Avere made. Careful 
leveling would show the extra surface covered by the 
reservoir. I hardly think that you v.ould need a 
Avheel as large as 100 horse-i)ower. for if the Avidth 
and depth of the stream as given by you are cor¬ 
rect, a velocity of 100 feet ])er minute and a fall of 
10 feet Avould be reipiired to develop about half of 
this poAver at the Avheel. b. ii. s. 
Trouble Over a Potato Crop 
Last Spring I had received fioni a neighbor about 60 
bushels of potatoes to plant on share.s. He also fur¬ 
nished the fertilizer and I all the work. I plowed the 
ground about seven inches, rolled, dislo'd, harrowed and 
then idanted. I kept the i)otatoe.s as clean as anyone 
else around. MTien time came for digging, the field 
Avas clean of weeds and good i)otato vines. When dug 
I only got 170 bushels, so that Avas a poor crop. Now 
this man claims that I had not ploAved the ground right 
and did not work the field correctly, and said that the 
crop Avas a disgrace and that the only thing that Avas 
right was the seed potatoes and the fertilizer, but 1 
think different. The seed that I had from him was his 
seed from last year’s <‘roi), groAvn on about the same 
kind of soil as grown last year. I’lie seed T got about 
the 6th of .Tune and had i)lanted. Was the cause of 
trouble the ground Avork or the late planting, and the 
same potatoes for seed'? M. K, 
Ncav Jersey. 
Wc print that as a sample of many hard ones put 
up to ns for settlement. A moment's thought Avill 
sliow that Ave could not decide such a case Avithont 
iiaving seen tlie seed, tlie soil and the croj)—as Avell 
as the men. When yon plant 60 bushels sind dig 170 
Aon run close to a failure, though Ave knoAV good 
farmers aaIio Iuia-o not done any better tlian this in 
poor seasons. East Spring there Avere many i)eople 
Avho thought thei’e AV(»iild be great ])rofit in potatoes. 
So, Avitliont knowing much about it tlicy borroAA’cd 
money or Avont into partnership and ■i)laiited. Most 
of tlioni seem to liaA'e come out nmcli like M. K., 
and they are uoav looking for the reason. Tlie.^e 
liotatoes Avere jdantod too late, for one thing. The 
bugs probably got at fliom early, and Ave do not see 
that they AA’ore .“^prayed. Both bugs and blight must 
liaAO caught them about as (bey came tlinmgh the 
ground. The seed may have l)eon scabby, or it nmy 
have carried the potato di.-^ease. Tliori' is" no Avay 
of tolling that now. Second eroj) seed gi'owii in 
Sontlioni Now Jer.'joy is snporior. but se('d fi'om tlio 
Transplanted Onion from a Strawberry Bed. Fiff. 602. See Page 1318 
first crop would not be equal to seed groAvn in the 
North. Of course, there is no Avay for ns to docide 
any such dispute. The only sure thing is that it 
Avas a poor crop, and M. K, is not the only one Avho 
has .seen great expectations come to small potatoes. 
A Reply to the Feed Dealer 
I notice on ])age 1230 “The Argument of (he I;Ved 
Dealer. Has a)‘gnment sounds Avell, hut ho does not 
state the Avhole case. It is true the distrihniion of 
feed costs something, and the dealer should have a 
fair price for a fair service, hut that is not Avhat 
he is generally satisfied Avith. I live in a village 
Avith a small Down East city just across the river, 
with a bridge between. For all business imi’posos it 
is one town. We had five feed dealers. They made 
the prices so all these'fiA'e dealers Avere making good 
money. There Avas no more business than one of 
these dealers could do, and Avould liave done easily 
if there had been but one, and instead of conipotition 
bot.Aveen the five to lower prices, there was collusion 
between them to make the ])rice high enough so all 
could live. And Ave paid the hills. 
We formed a farmers’ exchange, and bought out 
one of the dealers. The result has been that though 
all five places are still doing business, the profit on 
each hag has been reduced about one-half. If one 
store could do the bu.siness of the Avliole five the 
cost of distribution Avonld easaly be cut in half again. 
Of course, the Avhole rise in price of grain in the 
jiast few years is not represented in increased i)rofits 
to the dealer, hut where he could he has added more 
than Avas actually called for by the Avholesale price, 
and nearly everywhere there ai-e from tAvo to five 
men doing the Avork that one man could and should 
do; from two to fiA'c .stores doing the Avork that one 
should and could do, Avith the added costs to the sys- 
te]n of rents, taxes, interest, clerk hire and delivery 
expense of all these unnecessary stores, and ilic con¬ 
sumer pays Ihe hills. 
The Avorkings of this same system in the grocery 
and jn-ovision distribution system are Avbat make 
the 65 cents’ cost of the current dollar to distribute. 
In our A’illage of about 1.000 people Ave liaA’e 14 gro¬ 
cery stores and four moi’e from the city using deliA^- 
ery teams in our Aillage. Three stores in our Aillage 
Avould he amiile to sn))i)l.v the Avhole village, and 
AA'onld giA'e convenient aecvss also, hut aa’c pay the 
rent on 14 and part of that on four more; also in¬ 
surance, interest and heating all these Ainnecessary 
stores. There is duplicate delivery on CAery street- 
one might Avell say quadruplicate delivery on almost 
every street —and ire puy the hills. 
I can see Iioaa', if this system of distribution AA’as 
reorganized on a businesslike, economical, etliciont 
basis, at least 30 cents of the 65 cents now reipiired 
could he saA'cd, and if this could be added to Avhat 
the fanner now receive.s, making the farm .share 65 
and 35 for distribution, the fai'iner Avonld he prosper¬ 
ous: he could coinpete Avith the factory in the labor 
market, his helji Avould be satisfied and happy, and, 
greate.st change of all. New England and other East¬ 
ern .States eould and icoiild feed themselves. We 
have land enough, and (he price paid by the con¬ 
sumer is high enough. If the fanner got a fair 
share and the distributive system Avas as economical 
as the farm system of production, Ave Avonld haA-e a 
county so pros))erons that one can s<‘arcely realize 
Avhat conditions AA’onld he like. As it is today, the 
fanner, if he hires, i)ays his hired man more than he 
gets himself. j. l. d. 
Maine. 
The Future of Live Stock 
T he future of the live stock Industry In this 
country is absolutely assured. It AA’ould be im¬ 
possible during the next 20 years to produce a great 
surplus of meat products. Thousands of people 
are now eating far less than their normal supply, 
and they Avill demand more the moment supplies 
are increased. In the future milk is to be classed 
for Avhat it is—Liquid meat—and tlie demand for it 
will groAV beyond the supply. We believe the ques¬ 
tions of dl.stribution Avill be Avorked out by the pro¬ 
ducers. They must do it, for it Is evident that the 
middlemen never Avill give a full distribution. At 
any rate the improved Live stock business is one part 
of farming in AA’h'Lch a farmer can safely Invest his 
money. In times of high jirices purebred or high- 
grade stock pay a double profit. The fact that good 
prices for mc-af, butter and anllk are assured Is 
the finest argument in favor of breeding up the 
flocks and herds. The swing is now upAvard. Why 
not go along Avith it by breeding the hen that will 
give us a dozen extra eggs, the coav that gives the 
10(X) extra pounds of milk or the hog With the 60 
pounds of extra pork? Hood breeding means the 
introduction of the blood of animals Avhose ancestors 
have for generations been doing these very things. 
New Facts About Fence Wire 
Older readers Avill remember some years ago IhiE 
R. N.-Y. made a strong campaign for improved fence 
wire. At that time there was bitter complaint about 
the quality of this wire. In many cases the AvoA-eu 
Avire, after a fcAV years of service, simply hung in 
rusty tatters, and immense sums of money had been 
lost in the ])urcluise of inferior Avire. At the same time 
this modei’n Avire went doAvn so badly it was often 
possible to find old-fashioned wire still giving good 
service after 15 or 20 years of use. 
q'lie Department of Agriculture took up the matter 
and made many experiments, and the manufacturers 
claimed to have discovered new methods of improving 
the Aviro. A good deal of the trouble was evidently 
cau.sed by A'ei’y poor galvanizing, and Dr. Cushman 
claimed that an electric action which occurred under 
certain conditions was responsible for the quick rust¬ 
ing. The manufacturers promised to give a better 
(piality of Avire, and the matter was dropped. The 
Avire now sold, however, does not seem to be any 
better than the old material, and the loss has become 
so serious that in many cases wire fences are being 
given up. A new theory is now advanced for the fail¬ 
ure of this wire. Investigations show that a small per¬ 
centage of copper in the steel Avill give fence Avire a high 
resistance to rusting. It appears that the old-time 
Avires were made of iron ores Avhich contain a small 
amount of copper, and this is given as the reason 
why these older wires were more durable. Thus we 
hav’e a new theory and, as presented, it seems a very 
plausible one, that the presence of copper in these 
steel wires will overcome to a large extent the quick 
rusting Avhich has caused so much loss in the past. If 
these facts are true they are certainly very important, 
and should be taken up at once, _ thoroughly tried out, 
and settled. Then, having it 'clearly demonstrated 
that the presence of copper will actually prevent this 
rusting that kind of wire should promptly be put on 
the market. 
