1254 
‘Ihe RURAL N E W -YORKER ' 
Farm Mechanics 
Trailer for Carrying Brush 
The convenient trailer shown in cut be¬ 
low i« reproduced from the Florists' E.r- 
change. This handy appliance was de¬ 
vised by Charles A. Black. Jr., who thuf 
describes it: 
“In the Spring the nurserymen and 
fruit growers have large quantities of 
brush to be carried off from nurseries and 
orchards after trimming, as it' 'cannot be 
burned where it lies. Many use the ordi¬ 
nary farm wagon for this purpose, but 
this’ is a time-killer, as large brush es- 
Trailer for Carrying Brush 
peeially is very unhandy to load at best. 
Those who are interested will find a 
trailer serviceable. Make one by attach¬ 
ing two poles to an old pair of wheels 
from a low farm wagon or truck, tacking 
cross-ties about IS in. apart. Have a 
strong bar at end to hook over standards 
of a bodyless farm wagon to convey the 
brush.’’ 
Construction of Icehouse Walls 
Is it best in the construction of an ice¬ 
house to provide sheeting or ceiling inside 
and pack snace between the sheeting and 
the siding with sawdust, or will it be en- 
tirelv satisfactory simply to side up the 
building all around and then pack about 
six inches of sawdust between the ice and 
the siding all around when ice is being 
stored? Of course, the latter is much 
cheaper and greatly to be preferred, if the 
ice will keep as well. If you think it 
best to provide sheeting and pack space 
between with sawdust, will a 4-iu. stud¬ 
ding provide sufficient space for the pur¬ 
pose, or would it be better to use studding 
6 in. wide? G - 
Highland, N. Y. 
The degree of expense that one is justi¬ 
fied in putting into the construction of an 
icehouse depends very much upon the 
ease of obtaining an ice supply. If the 
ice pond is near so that unlimited or 
ample quantities can be cut and stored 
at a relatively low cost, a cheap house of 
larger capacity could be built with the 
idea of storing sufficient 'ice in excess of 
the actual need to provide for the waste 
that might take place in the poorly con¬ 
structed house. On the other hand, if the 
ice supply were the controlling factor, a 
better house should be built to conserve 
the limited supply that could be obtained. 
While not as convenient as a double- 
walled house, with the insulation be¬ 
tween the walls, a single-walled house 
can be made to keep ice very effectively 
if care is taken to see that it is provided 
with good drainage, has plenty of insulat¬ 
ing material—sawdust, planer shavings, 
marsh hay or similar material—placed 
under, over and surrounding the ice pile 
and the building protected somewhat from 
the sun and wind. Of the materials men¬ 
tioned for packing, dry planer shavings 
are probably the best, with sawdust a- 
second choice. The thickness of the cov¬ 
ering mentioned by you is not sufficient, 
however. It should be at least a foot, 
and a greater thickness is better. 
For a double wall construction the 2x4 
will not make a thick enough wall. 
Neither is it best to use a wider stud¬ 
ding to get sufficient wall thickness, al¬ 
though this is sometimes done. The best 
construction is to use a 10-in. sill, well 
treated with wood preservative, and on 
this erect 2x4 studding, one row on the 
inner edge and one on the outer. The 
studding should be staggered, that is. n<>t 
directly opposite each other, and tied 
together by horizontal 2x4 pieces run¬ 
ning between them. This prevents any 
piece of wood from extending directly 
through the wall and making a path for 
the passage of heat, as would be the case 
were 10-in. studding used. This wall is 
boarded with matched material inside and 
oilt, using two thickness of boarding, wirh 
a good quality of paper between. Farm¬ 
ers’ Bulletin No. 1078. recently issued, 
will give you much more information 
along this line. u. H. s. 
A bridge of the size that you propose 
is quite an undertaking, and should not 
be built without an engineer in charge. 
By properly proportioning concrete, de¬ 
termining sizes and amounts, testing and 
selecting gravels and sands, an engineer 
would save his salary, as well as insuring 
against failure. This engineer need not 
necessarily be continuously employed, but 
he should look the ground over, ’take his 
levels and prepare his plans; these could 
then be carefully followed by competent 
builders. It would seem that either a 
concrete bridge or one constructed of tim¬ 
bers treated with wood preservative would 
be a better type for you to build than 
would the suspension bridge. The fact 
that you have both lumber and concrete 
material, as well as men skilled in their 
use. would make this plan seem more 
feasible than would the building of a 
suspension bridge, with which you are 
probably more or less unfamiliar. Two 
general types of the concrete bridge are 
in common use. the reinforced arch, which 
30’ 
Ground Plan of Rooms 
in the width that you indicate could be 
built in a single span, and the beam and 
slab bridge, which would require center 
supports. The wood bridge could be car¬ 
ried by trusses built up from plank if 
timbers of the required size were not at 
hand. The bridge will be an expensive 
construction, however, and one in which 
small changes in the design may have a 
considerable effect in cost, strength and 
durability, and with these considerations 
in mind it would seem that the logical 
thing to do would be to have an engineer 
un the ground. R. H. S. 
Dividing House Into Rooms 
I have a house unfinished, upright and 
wing. 16x30 and 14x25. I would like to 
know how best to cut it up into rooms. 
The nart 16x30 lias second floor, the other 
part one story. Both ceilings are low— 
eight feet. II. w. 
Custer. Wash. 
Since you give us only the outline and 
dimensions of the house, with no particu¬ 
lars as to the size of the family for which 
it. is being built, the number of rooms 
desired, size and location of the cellar, 
proposed method of heating, location of 
house as to the highway, etc.. I feel that 
the ancient Israelites had nothing on us 
in buildi-ig bricks without straw. I have 
divided Ike building into rooms as I think 
that I should like them, however, assum¬ 
ing that at least seven will be needed and 
that the cellar is beneath the upright. If 
the cellar can be entered from the kitchen 
or dining-room, this should be done, and 
the stairway in the living-room may be 
an open one. giving additional room there. 
The china closet between kitchen and 
dining-room should open through, and 
should have drawers for linen, etc., built 
in beueatk. If a linen closet out of the 
dining-room is not desired, that space 
can be added to the other closets. Few 
houses have too many closets, however. 
As no allowance for space required by 
walls and partitions has been made, all 
rooms will be slightly smaller than the 
plan indicates. By setting your 2x4-in. 
studding “sidewise." you can save a little 
in thickness of partition walls. M. R. D. 
Building a Fireplace 
I have an old farmhouse in the country 
which has no fireplace, and I would like 
to build one. Can you tell me how to 
build a fireplace with brick? t. c. f. 
Almira, N. Y. 
It is a question whether the building 
of a fireplace can be described in a way 
that will be of much assistance to a mason 
not acquainted with that kind of work, 
though such a mason might be able to 
follow a properly drawn plan. The ac¬ 
companying rough sketch of a cross-sec¬ 
tion of a fireplace at the floor level and 
the description may give you a general 
idea of the work, however. This sketch 
and description are of a fireplace now 
being completed in a neighboring house. 
It may be assumed that you intend to 
build in the outside wall of your farm¬ 
house. and from the ground level up. In 
this case you will need to cut through 
the clapboards, sheathing and plaster to 
make an opening the size of your pro¬ 
posed fireplace. You will then cut down 
through the sill of the house and the 
underpinning for the full width of the 
opening and to the ground. At the 
ground level you will lay a stone or con¬ 
crete foundation large enough to include 
the hearth in front of the fireplace. 
Upon this foundation you will build up a 
substructure of stone, brick or concrete 
nearly to the floor level of the house, and 
in this substructure you may well leave 
an ash pit opening either into the cellar 
or outside.. A concrete or stone slab 
covering this substructure will complete 
it and form the roof of the ash pit, and 
upon this slab the building of the fire¬ 
place proper will begin. 
The Avails of the fireplace will now be 
carried up, as shown in the sketch, though 
after reaching about half the height of 
the chamber they will be drawn in from 
the sides and rear, to finally form the 
throat of the chimney. An iron frame, 
in which a damper is placed, may be pur¬ 
chased to form this throat and support 
the bricks above the fire chamber in front. 
The Avails, including the front Avail above 
the fire chamber, are carried up to the 
level of the mantel and are then drawn 
in to form the chimney. They may be 
drawn in by one or tAvo steps and from 
both sides, or entirely from one side, as 
the exigencies of the case require. 
In the sketch shown the fire chamber 
is lined with fire brick and a narroAv 
space is left betAveen these latter and the 
Avails of the fireplace. Fire brick also 
cover the floor and in the latter may be 
seen the ash pit opening guarded by a 
butterfly valve. In front of the fireplace 
tiles or bricks _ are placed to form the 
hearth, these lying upon the substructure 
and projecting slightly above the floor 
boards of the room. The chimney flue 
should be at least 8x12 in., and the chim¬ 
ney should be carried above the highest 
part of the roof. And. finally, don’t at¬ 
tempt to build a fireplace witout the aid 
of a skilled mason. Avko understands the 
work. at. b. d. 
A Problem in Water Supply. 
I Avould Ii,ko information about getting 
water to my barn by gravity. Water sup¬ 
ply is no question : water head is 4 ft. in 
a distance of 1.300 ft.; 800 ft. doAvn 
grade of about 13 ft. and the other 500 ft. 
up grade 0 ft., so actual head is 4 ft., as 
given by instrument. IlaA-e friction and 
air pockets something to do to make it 
impracticable? I would like to have 20 
to 25. gallons delivered per minute. Would 
IYj in- galvanized iron pipe deliver so 
much water under above conditions, if 
properly installed, or would it take larger 
pipe? House is S ft. higher than barn. 
Emails, Pa. av. ir. av. 
Under the conditions outlined. 1.300 ft. 
length and 4 ft. fall, a l^-iu. pipe could 
be expected to furnish only about five 
gallons per minute, or about one-fifth of 
the quantity that you indicate as desir¬ 
able. To furnish anything like the quan¬ 
tity of water that you wish, the use of a 
2 1 /l>-in. pipe is indicated, a pipe of this 
size Avlien laid as above furnishing ap¬ 
proximately 18 gallons per minute. 
If tin* A\;ater is desired for stock Avater- 
ing and household use, only the amount 
stated 120 to 25 gallons per minute) is 
far in excess of the usual requirements. 
Twenty-five gallons per minute is equiva¬ 
lent to 36.000 gallons per day, enough 
Building a Bridge 
A group of farmers wish to build a 
wagon bridge for private use across a 
stream : Avidth of stream, 65 ft.; banks. 
7 or 8 ft. high, and very steep; banks 
overflowed once in two or three years; 
good level ground for road on both sides; 
bridge to be wide enoutrk for two A'e- 
hicles, and strong enough for a fhe-tou 
truck. Our idea is to build a miniature 
suspension bridge, Avitli wire cables made 
up of parallel or of twisted wires, each 
end of each cable passing over a saddle 
and then entering a concrete anchorage 
in the ground. All Ave should have t** 
buy would be the wire, suspension rods 
and bolts and cement. The lumber for 
the floor, the stone and sand, and the 
labor Avould be provided among ourselves. 
One of us is a mason, one a carpenter. 
We don't wish to employ a civil engineer. 
We need specifications. Can you help us, 
aud is the plan feasible? E. A. w. 
Newark, N. J. 
Cross fi cotton of Fireplace, Floor IjCvcI 
July 24, loco- 
water for a small village. The water re¬ 
quirements for the average cow or horse 
is about 12 gallons daily, while for each 
person supplied about 40 gallons are 
needed. This supplies Avater for all pur¬ 
poses. including bath and toilet. Where 
these facilities are not installed, much less 
is needed. Estimating on this basis, it 
avou Id require from 1,000 to 1.200 gallons 
daily for a family of fh'e on a 60-cow dairy 
farm. This quantity of Avater would be 
supplied from a pipe floAving steadily at 
the rate of someAvliat less than a gallon 
per minute—Avater floAving at the rate of 
one gallon per minute giving a supply of 
1.440 gallons daily. 
If water in this amount would be suf¬ 
ficient for the purpose intended. I would 
suggest the use of a ram. This could be 
installed at the loAAest point of the line 
and the Avater forced to a small tank in 
the house attic, the overflow from this 
tank being led to the barn and supplying 
the stock. In this Avay a supply of fresh 
Avater would always be available at tne 
house that otherwise could not be secured, 
as it is stated that the house is above the 
source of Avater supply. 
Wood pipe is being used quite exten¬ 
sively for the carrying of Avater, and 
could be used in this ease to carry the 
water from the spring to the standpipe 
aboA-e the ram and from the ram to the 
house. . The drive pipe leading from the 
standpipe to the ram, howeA 7 er. should be 
of iron. r. n. s. 
Cinder and Concrete 
On page 530 you have a letter about 
ashes and cement. Some years ago a 
builder at Teaneck, N. J., Mr. Selvage, 
told me that he AA'as experimenting with 
cinder concrete for cement houses. Hie 
idea Avas that the cinder concrete is fire¬ 
proof. while sand-mixed concrete goes all 
to pieces when exposed to fire. He told 
me of heating a cinder concrete block 
red hot in the furnace and while hot 
tln-OAving it into a snoAvbank without 
cracking or damaging it. He did not say 
what proportions lie used, and is now 
dead. 
Nine years ago my father molded a 
bottom step for our porch steps out of 
cement and sifted ashes, five to one, I 
think. It shoAvs no signs of weathering 
and A - ery little of Avear. Some founda¬ 
tion blocks and curbs I made four years 
ago have not been harmed. They were 
hiade of screened anthracite ashes, five 
to one. If not sifted, like the seven to 
one. mentioned by your correspondent, 
the binding betAA-een the lumps would 
probably have been stronger than the 
sifted block. I am making grapevine 
posts now. and they seem very good 
after one year’s use for the oldest. The 
advantage of ash-concrete is that it 
Aveiglis so little. Also it permits the 
use of a refuse that is often a nuisance. 
New Jersey. george a. bates. 
Your Choice for Governor of N. Y. Stata 
THE BALLOT 
□ Liberty Hyde Bailey, Tompkins 
□ Frank M. Bradley, Niagara 
□ Seth J. T. Bush, Monroe 
□ Israel T. Deyo, Broome 
□ Samuel Fraser, Livingston 
□ Elon IT. Hooker. Monroe 
□ Wesley O. IIoAvard. Bousselaer 
□ Francis M. Hugo, Jefferson 
□ Nathan T.. Miller, Onondaga 
□ Ogden I.. Mills. Ne\A - York 
□ John Lord O’Brian, Erie 
□ William Church Osborne, Putnam 
□ Eugene II. Porter, Broome 
□ Henry M. Sage, Albany 
□ Alfred E. Smith. New York 
□ Silas T.. Strivings, Wyoming 
□ Tliaddeus C. Sweet. Oswego 
□ Wm. Boyce Thompson. Westchester 
□ George F. Thompson, Orleans 
□ Eugene M. Travis, Kings 
□ George F. Warren, Tompkins 
□ - ■--- 
If your choice is not in the list write it on 
this line 
REFERENDUM 
Would you be in favor of calling a 
State meeting of farmers to formulate 
farm needs and policies and to suggest 
candidates who would be acceptable to 
farmers? 
□ YES □ NO 
A Farm Cold Storage 
I saw an article asking about a cooler. 
I have had excellent success with a cooler 
which is built in connection with icehouse. 
It is, including the cooler, 16x20x18 fr. 
high. My cooler inside is about 5x14x* 
ft. high—icehouse aud cold-air chambers 
around the outside. Overhead \ve have a 
pan Avhich is drained Avith a pipe. The 
pan holds between 100 and 2<)0 cakes ot 
ice. according to size of cake. Always 
fill it when Aye till the icehouse and during 
the Summer and Fall, about four times, 
making about five tons during the entire 
year. There is a door between the ice¬ 
house and cooler, so we can fill it from 
tin* inside and fill in between the two 
linings Avitli salt buy as we fill the cooler. 
New York. W. C. R 
