RURAL NEW-YORKER 
813 
Farm “Mechanics 
Conducted by Robert H. Smith, of the Canton Agricultural School 
Canton, New York 
Clearing Turbid Water 
I have a camp spring which went drv 
last Summer. We dug to the depth of 
I* ft., and came to a ledge through which 
a vein of clear water bubbled. We put 
in three lengths of 12-in. tile pipe, ce¬ 
mented together. The pipe filled, but the 
water was very roily, even after pumping 
dry several times and placing about 4 in. 
of gravel at the bottom. Tried it in the 
Winter and found the water clear and 
fine. This Spring it is roily again; 
pumped it dry, left three days, and it is 
still that way. We think it is a clay sub¬ 
stance which gets in there, as-it does not 
settle when drawn. The spring is situ¬ 
ated on a side hill in woods. e. c. y. 
Littleton, N. H. 
Turbid well or spring water is usually 
due to suspended particles of silt, clay or 
very fine sand, and in many cases the 
water can be cleared by letting it stand 
quietly for a day or so before using. In 
other cases the particles are so fine that 
they still remain suspended after the 
water has stood for a long time. From 
your description I assume that the spring 
is of the seepage type, having but a small 
flow of water. If this is the case, it 
might be possible to clear the water hv 
putting lime in the spring. The lime has 
a tendency to make the little particles 
suspended in the water gather to¬ 
gether and settle. The method' is inex¬ 
pensive, harmless and easily tried, and 
may clear the water for you. 
Laying a New Floor Over an Old One 
I w T ish to lay a %x2-in. hard maple 
floor over an old uneven floor. How can 
I fill in under so as to have an even, solid 
floor? Will use a heavy tarred felt 
paper. Will the filling come underneath 
the paper next to the old floor? Could 
you also tell me how to nail so as not to 
split the boards? \v. e. u. 
Valley Falls, N. Y. 
I would suggest that you use %-m. 
flooring rather than % in. for your floors. 
The first cost is slightly more, but the 
greater rapidity with which it can be laid 
about makes up for this. In addition you 
will have a superior floor, free from 
squeaks and warping that is difficult to 
get away from with the thin flooring, 
especially where the floor beneath is un¬ 
even. This flooring has a tendency to 
curl up at the edges, giving the floor the 
appearance of a washboard, and due to 
the thinness above the matching there is 
very little material left to plane and 
scrape‘off to secure an even surface. 
The old floor should be carefully leveled 
off with an adze. Hollows that cannot 
be leveled in this way can be built up 
with pieces of shingles wedged beneath 
the boards as laid. If the flooring is well 
supported in this way there will be little 
trouble from splitting when a fine nail is 
used. Splitting occurs where the board 
is not solid and springs beneath the ham¬ 
mer. If the nails bend badly the points 
may be stuck into soap or wax before 
driving, but if the board is well sup¬ 
ported and the nail struck squarely there 
will be little trouble from this source 
either. If the thin flooring is used it 
should be closely nailed. 
The use of building paper beneath the 
floor is good, and it can be used most con¬ 
veniently if placed on the old floor and 
the shingles or other filling used between 
it and the floor being laid. If there is a 
good lining beneath your old floor it 
might be beet to take the surface floor up 
and lay the hardwood floor directly on 
the old lining. The new floor should, of 
course, be laid across the old—not par¬ 
allel with it. 
Cistern for Water Supply 
What size cistern should be built, both 
round and square, water to last one year 
for a family of three and six head of 
stock? My scheme is to dig a trench say 
8 in. wide, using a long spud and shovel 
such as is used for cleaning out manholes, 
keeping trench smooth and narrow, fill 
in concrete, then throw out dirt iu center 
and put in top and bottom. Do you see 
anything the matter with this scheme? 
Auburn, N. Y. j. F . s. 
Average requirements for a person for 
bath, toilet and all needs average about 
2.» gallons per day per person. It is also 
estimated that the average cow will re¬ 
quire about 12 gallons per dav. Using 
the above figures for a basis the water 
requirement for a period of 365 days 
would be 53,655 gallons, or approximately 
(.154 cu. ft. This would mean a storage 
reservoir about 20 x 40 x 9 ft. deep. 
This is impracticable for the average farm 
and is not necessary. Usually a cistern 
holding a two months' supply is sufficient¬ 
ly large. In this case two months’ supply 
would be held by a cistern 10 x 12 x 19 
ft. deep. A round cistern 12 ft. in di¬ 
ameter and 11 ft. deep would have ap¬ 
proximately the same capacity. When 
building a cistern the area of the building 
from which the water is caught should be 
multiplied by the average rainfall and the 
size of the cistern made to correspond. 
It is needless to make a cistern larger 
than will be filled by heavy rains. Bul¬ 
letin No. 941, obtainable from your Con¬ 
gressman, will give you considerable help 
in regard to water supplies for farm use 
both from cisterns and wells. 
Damp Spring-house Affecting Electric 
Motor 
We have a spring-house with an elec¬ 
tric motor pump installed. The house is 
8x8x8 ft., built of concrete, double 
walled, with an air space between. En¬ 
trance is by double trap door in the fop. 
The condensation is extreme, and is rust¬ 
ing out the motor. Will you advise us 
how to ventilate without lowering the 
temperature to the freezing point? 
Chatham, N. Y. w. j. p. 
Trouble from moisture seems to be 
more or less common with motor-driven 
pumps installed as this one is. Natural 
ventilation is very difficult or impossible, 
because heat is needed to act as a motive 
power, and ever} bit of heat obtained 
from the spring beneath is necessary to 
keep the pump above the freezing point. 
I would suggest putting a tight floor 
above the spring on which to place the 
l'ump and motor. This should shut off 
the dampness from beneath, and may be 
s ffieient without ventilation. It may 
also lower the temperature sufficiently to 
cause freezing, and to prevent this a lan¬ 
tern or lamp could be kept burning, in 
severe weather at least.' With this com¬ 
bination a small opening at the top and 
bottom of the room should provide a little 
circulation of air and thus carry off the 
moisture that would find its way up 
through the floor. 
Cement Floor in Granary 
I note on page 650 an inquiry regard¬ 
ing a cement floor in a granary, from M. 
(’., Angelica, N. Y. Three years ago we 
built, a new granary in an old barn and 
put in a cement floor, which has been 
absolutely perfect in every way; never 
gathers. the least particle of moisture, 
and grain has always been found in just 
as good condition as when placed there 
from the thrashing machine. Floor has 
never cracked. 
This floor was put in 2 in. thick, using 
a 2x4 laid the flat w r ay on each side of 
the alleyway through the center, and also 
where the bins were to be partitioned off, 
as this gave us wood to nail our bin up¬ 
rights on, and also divided the floor into 
separate blocks of cement, which allows 
for contraction and expansion. The con¬ 
crete was made of good clean gray sand 
mixed with four parts of sand to one of 
cement. AVe wetted down the wood floor 
well, after which we placed on the cement 
and worked it well into the floor cracks, 
let set for a few hours and then finished 
on top with a trowel, giving it a very 
smooth surface, which can be swept per¬ 
fectly clean with a broom. This floor 
was given a light sprinkling of water for 
a couple of days, so that the floor be¬ 
neath would not absorb the moisture too 
fast. No reinforcing was used in the ce¬ 
ment. It is absolutely necessary to have 
a good strong floor upon which you are 
going to put a cement floor, or the weight 
of the grain will cause the cement to 
cr ack. „ E - M - dusixberke. 
New York. 
On page 650 I noticed M. C., Angelica, 
N. Y., inquiring about cement floors to 
granaries. A few years ago I made one 
which proved very satisfactory. The floor 
was made of 4 in. thickness of cement, 
mixed one part cement to five parts sand! 
Then the building was erected on tins 
foundation. I laid a board floor inside 
during the first year, so the grain would 
not mold, and removed it the second 
ear, when the cement was dry enough 
so the grain would keep all right. The 
above foundation was about 2 ft. high 
from the ground, to facilitate easy load¬ 
ing and unloading of the grain. . c. T 
Michigan. 
T ALK to your Goodyear Dealer about 
balloon tires. He is informed and im¬ 
partial. He sells both kinds of Goodyear 
balloon tires—to fit new small-diameter 
wheels, or to fit the wheels now on your 
car. You can depend on him to recom¬ 
mend the kind that will cost you least 
and serve you best. 
Qoodyear means Qood Wear 
Copyright 1024, by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.. Inc. 
Bolens Power Hoe 
and Lawn 
Mower Tractor 
It seeds, it 
cultivates, it mows 
the lawn. It supplies 
power for operating 
light machinery. 
The bolens has a patented arched axle 
for clearance and a tool control for accu¬ 
rate guidance in close weeding and culti- 
“^vating. A differ¬ 
ential drive makes 
turning easy. All 
attachments have 
snap hitches and 
are instantly inter¬ 
changeable. A boy 
- will run it with 
delight. Used by market growers, florists, 
nurserymen, farmers, home gardeners, 
parks, cemeteries, etc. 
Send for full particulars 
312 Park St., GILSON MFG. CO., Peri Washington, Wis. 
PAINT 
$1.25 
PER 
Gallon 
ORDER DIRECT FROM FACTORY 
We will send you as many gallons as you 
want of good quality red or brown 
BARN PAINT 
upon receipt of remittance. We are paint special¬ 
ists and can supply you with paint for any pur¬ 
pose. Tell us your wants and let us quote you 
low prices. We can save you money by shipping 
direct from our factory. ^atisfactionGuaranteea. 
On ord«rn for thirty gallonti or over we will prepay the 
freight within a radiua of three hundred mileM. 
AMALGAMATED PAINT CO. 
Factory: 372 WAYNE ST., JERSEY CITY. N. J. 
Barrels of Slightly Damaged Crockery wa£‘ c ci.T 
ingwai e, Glassware, etc., shipped direct from factory to 
consumer. Write us for pa rtic. E. SWASEY ft CO.. Portland.Matue 
Eastern Shore Maryland Farm Bargain 
*8,500. 15 acres highly cultivated ; 15 acres valuable 
timber. Large new dwelling; ideal place for Summer 
boarders. Excellent ilshiog. Write for free catalog des- 
cribing many farms. Matthews Farm Agency. Inc . 
1007M0 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware. 
Cooling Milk in Icehouse 
I would like some information on the 
advisability of building an icehouse with 
circulating coils on the bottom, which 
can be used for cooling milk. Can water 
ui U o Se ^rr° r would brine be more advis¬ 
able. Would it be necessary to have a 
pump in the circuit? Ice to be placed on 
top of coils. P L M 
I nless mechanical refrigeration is to 
be attempted it is not likely that the coils 
arranged as you suggest would prove sat¬ 
isfactory. Ice cools the material it is in 
contact with by absorbing heat from it 
in the process of melting. The nearer 
the ice can be melted to the material that 
is to be cooled the less waste there is by 
heat being absorbed from other sources. 
It follows then that a cooling vat, pro¬ 
vided with a tight insulated cover and 
insulated side walls, makes a method of 
cooling milk that is practical for the av¬ 
erage farm. The insulated side walls 
and cover prevent the entrance of heat 
from the outside, causing the heat us*>d 
in melting the ice to be absorbed from 
the contents of the vat. 
Organized Co-operation 
A NEW BOOK 
This book is written in three 
parts. 
PART ONE.—The Develop¬ 
ment of the Agricultural Indus¬ 
try. In five chapters. 
PART TWO. — Fundamental 
Principles and Adaptable Forms 
of Co-operative Organization. In 
ten chapters. 
PART THREE. — Application 
of Co-operation to Efficient and 
Economic Distribution of Farm 
Products. In seven chapters. 
This is a new treatment of the 
co-operative subject. Heretofore 
writers of b<_oks have contented 
By JOHN J. DILLON 
themselves with accounts of co¬ 
operative work where established. 
It has been mostly propaganda 
and exhortation. This was all 
good in its time. But we have 
grown beyond it. Farmers are 
now committed to co-operation. 
Once shy of it, they are at last a 
unit for it. What they want now 
is principles and definite policies 
that have Droved successful. This 
book is the first real attempt to 
supply this want. Other, and it 
is to be hop .d better, books will 
follow on this line; but for the 
present there is no other book 
seriously treating the subject of 
organized co-operation. 
Bound in Cloth 
Price $1.00 
The Rural New-Yorker, 333 West 30th St., New York 
