Vie  RURAL.  NEW-YORKER 
865 
Farm  Mechanics 
Conducted  by  Robert  H.  Smith,  of  the  Canton  Agricultural  School 
Canton,  New  York 
Waterproofing  a  Cellar 
I  would  like  your  advice  regarding  my 
cellar  floor.  After  heavy  rains  the  water 
comes  in  under  the  foundation.  The  floor 
has  only  a  thin  coat  of  cement,  and  I 
should  like  to  know7  if  putting  another 
floor,  1 14  in.  thick,  of  cement,  would  stop 
the  -water  coming  in.  To  lay  another 
floor  on  top  of  the  old  one,  would  I  have 
to  break  up  the  old  floor,  or  could  I  lay 
it  right  on  top?  What  do  you  consider 
is  the  best  proportion  to  mix  a  good  ce¬ 
ment  for  this  purpose?  a.  h. 
Bridgeport,  Conn. 
If  your  house  is  not  equipped  with 
eaves  "troughs,  putting  them  about  the 
roof  and  connecting  them  with  down 
spouts  arranged  to  carry  the  roof  water 
away  from  the  building  may  remedy  your 
trouble.  In  connection  with  this  the 
ground  surface  should  be  graded  so  that 
surface  water  will  be  led  away  from  the 
foundation  instead  of  toward  it.  Keep¬ 
ing  surface  and  roof  water  away  from 
a  cellar  is  a  big  help  in  keeping  it  dry. 
If  roof  and  surface  drainage  has  al¬ 
ready  been  provided  for,  and  water  still 
comes  in  after  heavy  rains,  the  basement 
will  have  to  be  made  waterproof.  It  is 
probable  that  water  comes  through  the 
walls  as  well  as  beneath  them,  and  they 
should  be  made  watertight  as  well  as  the 
floor. 
A  good  rule  to  follow  in  waterproofing 
a  structure  is  to  apply  the  waterproofing 
to  the  side  from  which  the  water  comes ; 
the  outside  of  the  wall  in  this  case.  To 
do  this  dig  a  trench  large  enough  to 
work  in  about  the  wall,  and  after  raking 
out  the  mortar  joints  and  thoroughly 
cleaning  the  wall,  paint  it  with  a  cream¬ 
like  mixture  of  clear  cement  and  water 
This  should  be  well  worked  in  and  imme¬ 
diately  followed  with  a  rich  mortar  mixed 
in  the  proportion  of  one  part  cement  to 
two  parts  sand.  Work  this  down  to 
about  %  in.  thick  with  a  wooden  float. 
Both  grout  and  mortar  must  be  used 
within  30  minutes  after  mixing  if  full 
strength  is  to  be  secured.  When  the 
mortar  has  hardened  sufficiently  to  per¬ 
mit  scratching  without  injury  it  should 
be  scratched  and  a  final  coat  of  stiff 
mortar  applied,  also  about  %  in.  thick. 
Where  it  is  impossible  to  get  at  the 
outside  of  a  wall,  the  mortar  may  be 
applied  to  the  inside.  It  should  not  be 
done  in  a  wet  time,  however,  as  the  pres¬ 
sure  exerted  by  the  water  outside  the 
wall  may  prevent  a  good  bond  between 
the  mortar  and  the  surface  to  which  it 
is  applied. 
The  floor  should  have  a  waterprooi 
membrane  made  from  several  layers  of 
tarred  felt  mopped  down  in  place  with 
hot.  tar  or  asphalt.  A  floor  of  this  size 
should  be  laid  in  at  least  four  sections, 
coating  the  abutting  edges  of  the  sections 
with  tar  or  asphalt  to  make  a  tight  joint. 
Around  the  wall  a  wedge-shaped  opening 
should  be  left  by  inserting  three  thick¬ 
nesses  of  clapboards.  These  are  removed 
as  soon  as  the  concrete  hardens  suf¬ 
ficiently,  and  the  opening  later  filled  with 
hot  tar  or  asphalt,  making  a  seal  against 
the  wall. 
The  floor  should  be  laid  about  3  in. 
thick,  using  concrete  mixed  in  the  pro¬ 
portion  of  one  part  cement,  2%  parts 
clean,  well-graded  sand,  the  particles 
ranging  in  size  from  fine  to  those  that 
will  just  pass  a  UL-in.  mesh  screen,  and 
four  parts  of  screened  gravel  or  stone 
ranging  in  size  from  %  in.  up  to  %  in. 
Mix  to  a  quaking  consistency,  just  soft 
enough  so  that  water  will  flush  to  the  top 
by  tamping.  Measure  the  water  used 
to  bring  the  first  batch  to  the  proper  con¬ 
sistency  and  use  the  same  quantity  of 
water  in  each  ensuing  batch.  If  work 
has  to  be  stopped  before  completing  a 
square,  insert  a  partition  in  the  floor 
form,  and  stop  with  a  square  edge,  coat¬ 
ing  it  with  hot  tar  before  adding  more 
concrete  to  secure  a  seal. 
To  cover  a  floor  21x21  ft.  with  a  floor 
3  in.  thick  mixed  as  above  would  require 
ebout  23  sacks  of  cement. 
Pumping  Water  Into  House 
I  have  a  pump  about  12  ft.  from  the 
house,  and  would  like  some  practical  and 
not  too  expensive  suggestion  as  to  get¬ 
ting  water  into  the  house.  The  well  is 
about  48  ft.  deep,  with  an  average  of  12 
to  15  ft.  of  water.  The  pipe  from  the 
pump  runs  through  a  piece  of  tile  piping 
for  about  15  ft.  The  tile  pipe  is  4  in.  in 
diameter.  I  have  electricity  in  the  house. 
I  also  have  a  small  pond  about  40  ft.  from 
the  pump  for  ducks,  which  goes  dry  dur¬ 
ing  the  Summer;  have  a  small  part  of  it 
dammed  all  around  except  inlet  and  outlet 
(12x12  ft.  deep),  where  I  can  still  hold 
a  little  wTater,  which  soon  goes  stagnant. 
Would  like  to  be  able  to  drain  same  at 
times  and  refill  from  pump.  E.  H.  \v. 
Millhorn,  N.  J. 
The  depth  of  your  wTell  necessitates  the 
use  of  a  deep-well  pump,  which  must  be 
placed  over  the  well  in  order  to  get  the 
cylinder  wdthin  suction  distance  of  the 
water.  Under  these  conditions  probably 
your  cheapest  method  of  getting  running 
water  into  the  house  would  be  by  the  use 
of  an  ordinary  force  pump  provided  with 
a  windmill  top  for  the  attachment  of  the 
jack  and  an  underground  pipe  leading  to 
a  hydro-pneumatic  storage  tank  in  the 
basement.  As  the  water  is  pumped  into 
this  the  air  is  compressed  above  it,  and 
the  air  pressure  so  secured  is  used  to 
force  water  to  all  parts  of  the  house  as 
needed.  Another  method  would  be  the 
use  of  a  small  gravity  storage  tank  in 
the  attic  supplied  in  the  same  way.  This 
method,  however,  is  open  to  the  objection 
of  being  warm  in  the  Summer.  The  well 
can  be  provided  with  a  concrete  curb  and 
a  small  house  built  over  it,  sheltering  the 
pump  and  the  power  used  to  operate  it. 
This  may  be  either  a  small  gasoline  en¬ 
gine  or,  as  you  have  electric  current  avail¬ 
able,  a  small  motor  may  be  used,  which 
may  be  arranged  to  be  controlled  from  a 
switch  at  the  house.  If  the  current  is 
derived  from  storage  cells,  however,  it 
should  not  be  used  for  pumping  purposes 
where  more  than  a  limited  amount  of 
water  is  to  be  used  because  of  the  ex¬ 
pense. 
If  it  is  desired  to  go  to  the  necessary 
expense,  a  frost-proof  structure  can  be 
built  over  the  well  and  an  electrically 
operated  automatic  pumping  outfit  in¬ 
joining  owners,  in  order  to  do  so,  may 
proceed  under  Article  13-A  of  the  town 
law.  This  statute  is  too  lengthy  to  quote 
in  full,  but  it  provides  that  the  owner 
may  file  a  petition  with  the  town  board, 
setting  forth  the  name  and  address  of  the 
petitioner,  description  of  the  land  and 
the  name  and  residents  of  lands  to  be  oc¬ 
cupied.  The  town  board  shall  cause 
copies  of  the  petition  to  be  served  upon 
the  owner,  shall  view  the  premises  and 
appoint  a  time  and  place  for  a  hearing  of 
the  parties  interested  and  witnesses.  Com¬ 
pensation  shall  also  be  fixed  for  occupying 
the  lands.  N.  T. 
Obstructing  Flow  of  Water 
In  the  Spring  and  other  times  through 
the  Winter  when  we  have  thaws,  the 
water  flows  from  A’s  place  across  B’s 
place,  then  from  B’s  across  C’s  place. 
Has  C  a  right  to  build  a  dam  to  hold  this 
water  back  and  flood  B’s  premises,  filling 
his  cellar  with  water?  C  claims  it  is 
surface  water,  and  she  can  do  as  she 
likes  with  it.  There  is  no  other  outlet  for 
this  water.  I  have  consulted  two  lawyers 
in  this  case,  and  one  of  them  says  C  can 
hold  the  water  on  my  premises  the  year 
around  and  I  cannot  do  anything  about 
it.  The  other  lawyer  says  C  has  no 
right  to  stop  the  water,  even  on  her  own 
premises,  if  it  is  a  damage  to  anybody 
else.  L.  K.  A. 
Ordinarily  we  do  not  attempt  to  give 
an  opinion  where  an  attorney  has  been 
The  permanent  and  durable  properties  of  concrete  made  these  greenhouse  benches 
highly  desirable.  It  is  no  longer  necessary  for  the  boys  at  Williamson  School,  West 
Chester,  Pa.,  to  construct  wooden  benches  every  three  or  four  years.  They  cost  about 
the  same  as  benches  built  of  good  wood. 
stalled  that  will  start  up  and  supply 
water  from  the  well  at  the  opening  of  a 
faucet  in  the  house,  stopping  when  normal 
pressure  is  again  restored. 
Contamination  of  the  water  supply  is 
to  be  feared  from  a  pond  such  as  you  de¬ 
scribe  so  near  the  well.  It  should  be 
drained.  A  small  portion  of  it  could  be 
lined  with  concrete,  an  overflow  and 
drainage  pipe  provided  and  a  supply  pos¬ 
sibly  maintained  from  the  well,  although 
it. must  be  remembered  that  the  supply  of 
water  from  such  a  well  is  limited.  To 
fill  a  tank  12x12x4  ft.  deep  wrould  require 
576  cu.  ft.  of  water.  If  your  well  had 
an  inside  diameter  of  4  ft.,  it  would  have 
to  have  nearly  46  ft.  of  w7ater  standing  in 
it  to  contain  this  quantity. 
QUESTIONS  ABOUT  DRAINAGE 
LAWS 
Opening  Drain  on  Adjoining  Land 
1.  A  year  ago  a  man  bought  an  adjoin¬ 
ing  farm,  and  rented  us  the  pasture  with 
the  privilege  of  cutting  the  hay  on 
shares.  Later  he  rented  the  house  to  an¬ 
other  party  with  the  use  of  the  barns,  to 
board  State  road  teams.  Through  this 
farm  runs  a  brook,  which  also  runs 
through  previous  four  other  farms.  Dif¬ 
ferent  people  who  for  years  have  lived  on 
this  farm  have  never  cleaned  out  or 
ditched  the  brook,  thereby  damming  back 
stagnant  water  on  a  large  swamp  on  our 
own  farm.  We  are  reclaiming  this  swamp 
and  draining  it  to  make  part  of  it  into  a 
meadow  for  hay.  To  do  this  we  must  put 
a  new  ditch  or  brook  through  this  ad¬ 
joining  farm,  as.  the  old  one  is  all  filled 
up.  The  tenant  in  the  house  on  this  farm 
has  forbidden  us  to  enter  the  premises  to 
clean  this  brook.  The  owrner  has  said 
nothing.  Is  this  brook  a  public  stream? 
2.  Can  we  force  the  owner  to  clean  it? 
3.  Has  anyone  the  right  to  hold  stagnant 
water  back  through  neglect  of  cleaning 
the  ditch?  4.  Have  we  the  right  to  clean 
it  through  his  farm  so  as  to  drain  our 
own?  5.  Can  the  tenant  keep  us  off,  as 
it  runs  through  the  dooryard  ifi  front  of 
the  house,  which  he  rents,  about  40  ft. 
from  front  porch?  6.  How  can  we  get 
permission  to  enter  and  clean  aforesaid 
brook?  7.  Have  we  the  right  to  cut  out 
trees  and  brush  in  this  brook  on  tenant’s 
premises?  g.  f.  w. 
New  York. 
1.  We  have  not  facts  enough  before  us 
to  state  whether  or  not  this  is  a  public 
stream. 
2.  No. 
3.  Generally  speaking,  yes. 
4.  5,  6  and  7.  The  owner  of  any 
swamp,  low  or  wet  agricultural  land,  who 
desires  to  drain  the  same  and  finds  it 
necessary  to  enter  upon  the  land  of  ad- 
employed.  We  do  not  attempt  to  dispute 
either  of  the  attorneys  who  have  been  con¬ 
sulted,  by  our  answer,  for  they  may  have 
elicited  more  facts  than  are  contained  in 
your  letter.  The  following  general  prin¬ 
ciple  may  apply  : 
A  lower  owner  is  undar  no  obligation 
to  take  care  of  the  surface  water  of  his 
adjoining  upper  owner,  and  he  may  im¬ 
prove  his  lower  land,  though  by  so  doing 
he  prevents  the  flow  of  the  surface  water 
on  his  land  from  his  upper  neighboring 
proprietor  to  the  latter’s  damage.  New 
York  .State  has  followed  the  common  law 
to  a  considerable  extent  in  the  theory  that 
surface  water  is  a  common  enemy  which 
each  proprietor  may  fight  as  he  deems 
best,  and  the  lower  proprietor  may  there¬ 
fore  take  such  measures  as  are  necessary, 
although  the  result  is  to  throw  the  water 
back  upon  the  land  of  an  adjoining  pro¬ 
prietor.  A  land  owner  may  not  collect 
surface  water  into  a  pond,  pool  or  ditch 
and  then  discharge  it  upon  lands  of  an¬ 
other  in  a  greater  volume  and  more  con¬ 
centrated  flow  than  would  have  resulted 
if  the  natural  conditions  had  been  left 
undisturbed.  N.  T. 
Two  old-time  prospectors,  living  to¬ 
gether  far  beyond  the  uttermost  fringe  of 
the  furthest  tin-can  dump  of  civilization, 
were  accustomed  to  spend  day  after  day 
in  silence.  One  morning  the  first  pros¬ 
pector  said  to  the  second  prospector : 
“That  there  c’yote  kept  me  awake  last 
night.”  Said  the  second  prospector  to 
the  first  prospector :  “That  warn’t  no 
c’yote.  That  war  a  wildcat.”  Later  in 
the  day,  the  first  prospector  packed  his 
belongings,  hoisted  his  sack  on  his  shoul¬ 
der  and  departed,  explaining,  as  he  left : 
“Too  darn  much  talking  round  here.  I’m 
going  where  there  ain’t  so  much  conversa¬ 
tion.” — Credit  Lost. 
DO  YOU  NEED  FARM  HELP? 
We  have  able-bodied'Jewish  young  men,  most¬ 
ly  without  experience,  who  wish  to  work  on 
farms.  Tf  you  need  a  good,  steady  man,  write 
for  an  order  blank.  Ours  is  not  a  commercial 
employment  agency,  and  we  make  no  charge 
to  employer  or  employee. 
THE  JEWISH  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY, INC. 
176  Second  Avenue  New  York  City 
Subscribers’  Exchange 
Other  Advertisements  of  Subscribers 
Exchange  will  be  found  on  page  867. 
FOR  SALE}  OR  LEASE  at  North  Patehogue, 
L.  I.,  new  9-rooin  house,  all  improvements; 
garage;  plot  85x500  ;  50  miles  from  Pennsyl- 
ania  station;  easy  terms;  price  $5,200.  HENRY 
BECK,  Mt.  Vernon  Ave.,  Medford,  L.  I.,  N.  Y. 
WANTED — Farm  of  200  to  500  acres  in  the 
hills  of  New  York  State;  suited  for  sheep 
raising;  must  he  at  altitude  of  at  least  2,500 
ft.  and  within  150  miles  of  New  York  City; 
prefer  property  containing  lake  and  stream 
for  trout  breeding;  send  full  particulars  and 
photographs  to  C.  F.  CAHILL,  Room  1012,  33 
West  42d  St.,  New  York  City. 
Miscellaneous 
WILLOW  DELL  ITALIAN,  3  band  bees  and 
queens  are  good  bees  that  bring  results; 
with  queens,  2-frame  nuclei,  $4;  3-frame,  $5.25; 
jumbo  frames,  50c  extra;  queens,  $1.25  each. 
H.  S.  OSTRANDER,  Melleuville,  N.  Y. 
MAPLE  SYRUP,  guaranteed  pure,  $2.20  gal¬ 
lon;  have  only  20  gallons  left  for  sale.  FRED 
JOHNSON,  R  F  D  1,  Cineinnatus,  N.  Y. 
WE  CAN  accommodate  a  few  Summer  people 
who  are  looking  for  rest,  and  good  plain 
farm  living;  fine  location,  with  dandy  view’. 
LEON  W.  PARKHURST,  Felchville,  Vt. 
FOR  SALE,  after  June  28  several  good  lamp  in¬ 
cubators;  price  low.  F'ARIVIEW  POULTRY 
FARM,  Theresa,  N.  Y. 
FOR  SALE  CHEAP— -Second-hand,  electric 
light  outfit;  National  Gasoline  Engine  and 
Sprague  dynamo  giving  300  lights  at  40  watts 
and  110  volts  each;  shipjiing  weight  about  10,- 
000  lbs.;  frst-class  condition  after  six  years; 
purchaser  takes  away  for  $750;  switchboard 
included;  original  cost  $3,800.  BROOK  DALE 
FARM,  Palisades,  Rockland  County,  N.  Y. 
(Railroad  Station,  Tappan  on  the  Erie.) 
HOMES  WANTED — There  is  no  greater  charity 
than  to  offer  a  home  to  a  friendless,  deserving 
boy  between  the  ages  of  7  and  12  years;  this 
is  real  charity,  and  we  earnestly  solicit  the  co¬ 
operation  of  Catholic  families  (New  York  State 
only).  Address  PLACING  OUT  BUREAU,  415 
Broome  St.,  New  York  City. 
MILK  CHOCOLATE — Made  at  our  dairy;  the 
best  you  ever  tasted;  box  of  120  pieces,  2  lbs. 
net,  postpaid,  for  $1;  stores  sell  this  for  $1.75; 
thousands  of  Rural  New-Yorker  readers  among 
my  well  satisfied  customers.  Are  you  one  of 
them?  Please  send  remittance  with  order.  R. 
W.  WIND,  Babylon,  L.  I.,  N.  Y. 
HONEY — Pure,  extracted,  postpaid  first  three 
zones,  clover,  5  lbs.,  $1.25;  10  lbs.,  $2.15; 
buckwheat,  5  lbs.,  $1;  10  lbs.,  $1.80;  satisfac¬ 
tion  guaranteed.  WALNUT  ORCHARD  FARM, 
Ithaca,  N.  Y. 
BEES — Produce  your  own  honey;  circular  free. 
VAN’S  HONEY  FARMS,  Hebron,  Iud. 
SLEEP  on  Adirondack  balsam  pillow;  soothing, 
refreshing,  invigorating;  pleasing  gift  for 
shut-in  friends  or  well  ones;  picked  fresh,  cre¬ 
tonne  cover,  3  lbs.,  $1.25,  prepaid;  check  with 
order.  HANNAH  PAYNE,  No.  2,  Raquette 
Lake,  N.  Y. 
FOR  SALE — Keystone  traction  driller,  full  equip¬ 
ment,  cheap;  good  all  around  practical  opera¬ 
tor  wanted  for  No.  5  machine;  references.  T. 
S.  MOORE,  Stockton,  N.  J. 
FOR  SALE — Ninety  tons  cow  hay,  partly  Al- 
falfa.  E.  C.  BARDIN,  West  Winfield,  N.  Y. 
DELICIOUS  CARAMELS — Pure  and  wholesome; 
made  after  a  famous  recipe;  pound  box,  post¬ 
paid,  $1.  IDLEWOOD  CARAMELS,  Hillsdale, 
N.  J. 
FOR  SALE — 0,000  Candee  incubator;  used  two 
years  and  guaranteed  to  be  in  first-class  con¬ 
dition;  price  $400.  ADVERTISER  3461,  care 
Rural  New-Yorker. 
MAKE  up  your  own  Balsam  Pillows;  fresh  cut 
Adirondack  Balsam,  enough  for  two  pillows, 
postpaid,  $1;  prompt  delivery;  or  beautifully 
painted  pillows,  14x17,  stuffed,  with  fresh  cut 
Adirondack  Balsam,  $1.25  postpaid;  send  for 
descriptive  matter;  satisfaction  guaranteed 
DORSEY  FARMS,  Schroon  Lake,  N.  Y. 
WANTED — Blue  Hen  Incubator:  state  size,  age 
condition  and  price.  I.  M.  JOHNSON,  Ickes- 
burg,  Pa. 
WANTED — Any  quantity  of'  pine  needles,  in 
lots  of  100  pounds  or  ton  lots;  state  price. 
Address  JOHN  RICK,  Reading,  Pa. 
FAIRBANKS-MORSE,  3-horse,  Z-engine,  Bosch 
magneto,  $55;  32-volt  generator  and  150-am¬ 
pere  hour  batteries;  used  16  months,  $140.  H. 
VAN  KUREN,  Rummerfield,  Pa. 
WANTED— A  sweep  rake.  HARRY  S.  DEWEY, 
Gt.  Barrington,  Mass. 
SPRING  WATER,  on  Maine  farm;  any  party 
interested  in  remarkable,  pure  spring  water 
and  wishing  to  do  a  spring  water  business  of 
any  kind  can  hear  further  particulars  by  ad¬ 
dressing  ADVERTISER  3482,  care  Rural  New- 
Yorker. 
CIDER  PRESS,  grater  and  elevator;  complete 
outfit;  nearly  new  for  sale.  F.  T.  PALMER, 
Cos  Cob,  Conn. 
FOR  SALE — United  States  separator,  1,400-lb. 
capacity;  Hinman  milking  machine,  3  units; 
'both  in  first-class  condition.  JAS.  E.  VAN  AL- 
STYNE,  Sunnyside  Farms,  Kinderhook,  N.  Y. 
WANTED- — Antiques;  pewter,  old  Sandwich 
glass,  cups,  plates,  bottles,  plain  and  curly 
maple  furniture;  state  prices.  MRS.  H.  L. 
LONSDALE,  174  Sullivan  St.,  New  York  City. 
WANTED — Five  boys,  7  to  12  years,  to  board 
on  farm  in  Connecticut;  milk,  eggs,  vege¬ 
tables,  fruit:  particulars,  MRS.  CHAMBER- 
LAIN,  Box  30,  Unionville,  Conn. 
BOARDERS  WANTED — -Accommodations  for 
two;  terms  reasonable;  Brookfield  cottage. 
MRS.  FRANK  MERCER,  Hillsdale,  N.  Y. 
fl  I  have  a  chance  to  sell  by  mail  at  my  usual  LOW  PRICES 
M^  1  ■  ■  MM  the  output  of  a  well-known  silo  concern.  Silos  absolutely 
■  ■  ■  IiJ  first-class,  made  of  genuine  CLEAR  FIR.  This  lumber  is 
■  ■  m.  high-priced  and  hard  to  get  this  year  but  YOU  KNOW  it  is 
H  the  ONLY  SAFE  wood  for  silos.  If  you  buy  through  me 
«  ■  A  DIRECT  FROM  THE  FACTORY  you  can  BUY  THE  BEST  and  PAY 
LESS.  Your  neighbor  probably  bought  at  my  sale  last  year.  Ask  him  how  much 
sale  lasts  30  days.  M.  L.  SMITH,  113  Flood  Bldg.,  Meadville,  Pa. 
