A Convenient Water "supply System
Editors Indians Fsrmer:
Tht-rn* is im reason why many tanners
i-aniKit pr*iviih* their homes with room of
tin* modern appliances and comforts
fonnd   in  <ity   residences. One  of  the
tirst necessities uf life    is an    adequate
supply of giHkl, pure water, ami the more
it is obtained, the better for people
in general.
The old way of having the domestic-
water supply some distance from the
house and compelling the good housewife to carry all Uie water needed in the
Kitchen, is being superseded by windmills
or gasoline engines operating force pumps
to drive the water from the wells into
storage tanks, whence it flows by gravity to various points for use. The tank
and gravity system is very common in the
rural districts throughout our country, and
while it is giving quite satisfactory service, it has some drawlwicks. The cost
of construction tod necessary repairs of
ihe common elevated wooden tank, the
liability to damage from freezing, of the
water it contains, in the winter, and
the constant decay of the wood, are factors which tell against this kind of water
service. Of   course,   iron   tanks      are
coming im* n-e. but even these are at
tin* mercy of the expansive force of ice
during the severe cold weather. This
system will give way iu time, we believe,
to the more recent plan involving air
pressors, a method just now coming into
practice in the agricultural regions of the
• astern   and  middle  stales.
Thia water service arrangement commonly comprises an efficient windmill or gasoline engine and a force pump; bnt does
away with the ordinary elevated tank, and
substitutes therefore a cylindrical steel
air-tight tank, capable of withstanding
considerable pressure, and located in the
basement of the dwelling or ia some special underground room away from the
honse, so arrangeil as to insure cool water
in the summer nnd prevent freezing in the
winter.
The water holder, the special feature
of this system resembles an ordinary hot
water tank considerably enlarged, placed
in a horizontal position, resting upon suitable supports.
In some cases a steam boiler, out of
commission but air-tight and able to withstand more than normal pressure, has
been used for the tan\c. The capacity of
this retainer will depend upon the quantity of the water to be used; one holding
ten barrels will usually suffice.
The accompanying diagram shows the
disposition and arrangement of the elements of this system.
The feed ripe from the force pump in
the well passes underground, below the
line, to the tnnk and enters it at
the lower side. A! this entrance, a valve
ng inward, prevents the water from
flowing into the feed pipe tinder back
pressure in* the tank, when the pump is
not   working. Near     l.y.   also     at   the
lower part or the tank, is attached the nutlet or supply pipe to conduct the water to
the different parts of the house. Here
is another valve opening outward into the
pipe to stop the back flow of water, should
occasion require it.
The operation of this-plant is .ns simple
an.l effective as that of the gravity system.
When water is forced through the feed
by the pump, operated by some convenient power, it enters the tank, from
the under side, and as the latter fills, the
sir.   previously   confined   within,   is   grad
ually compressed until it is under great
stress. A pressure gauge located iu    a
convenient place, like the kitchen, will always iudicate the actual force p.r square
inch. A pressure ranging from forty to
sixty pounds will be sufficient for most
purposes.
Au automatic safety contrivance, something on the order of a steam safety-
valve, for closing a valve iu the feed pipe
and opening one in an outlet pipe when
a certain pressure is reached, should be
provided to prevent any excessive pressure
when  the  pump   is  in operation. This
apparatus should work so that the inflow
of water can be shut off without any loss
to show them that there is a demand for
brains on the farm. 1 Imlicve that, while
it is not the province of the public schools
to teach trades, it is their privihdge and
iiuty to put the child in intelligent touch
with the life about bim.
Much has been laid about the fact that
the boy lea\»s the farm and come* up to
town and many attempts at explanation
and justification have been made. While
it is perfectly proper for the Isiy, under
ii circumstances, to leave his father's
farm and seek his fortune in the crowded
citv ; many jimes he has gone with the
mistaken notion that he Could substitute
wit for work in life's conteet; sometimes
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1 allow- no one to le more interested in
this subject than I am, but have the feeling that if wc should onler this subject
taught m all tin* district schools before the
leachers are prepared, our purpose would,
in a measure, be defcateil. ot rather the
work   would   be set   back  for  many
Whereas, ii are confine it to the small high
schools and to the tea 1*1*tre in the district
schools who  are  well prepared,  for a few
years, we shall sooq be able to do eSectiTs
work all over the state.
Yours very truly,
f. a. Cotton.
Diagram of Wat er Supply System.
of compressed air.
Hy opening a faucet anywhere along
the supply pipe the air pressure in tbe
lank will drive the water forward with
i 'ousidenablR velocity. This system
makes possible all the conveniences and
comforts of hot and cold water and even
admits of sanitary plumbing and sewer
arrangements in the farmer's home. Not
only can his household demands for water
he supplied by the adaptation of this compressed air system but his live stock can
also shnrec in the benefits.        H. S. On
Agriculture in Indiana Rural Schools.
The following is a letter written recently by State Superintendent of Education,
F. A. Cotton, to the Secretary of Agriculture at Washington. It sets Perth the
plans to be pursued for extended agricultural education In the state:
' Hon. James    Wilson, Sec. Dept. Agr.,
Washington,   D.   C.
Dear Sir: There is considerable interest
in the question of teaching agriculture in
the Schools of Indiana at this time. I desire to present to you our general plan for
introducing the teaching of this subject
and shall be glad to know if it is in harmony with your ideas.
One year ago 1 prepared a suggestive
course iii agriculture, indicating what maybe done by live teachers in the consolidated schools, and in the regular township
and town high schools when conditions arc favorable: that is to say when a
strong, capable teacher interested in this
subject is employed in a district school.
The suggestions were intended to help the
ti.'ulicr to direct the boys and girls in an
intelligent study of agriculture: to inspire
in them a respect for honest labor;    and
he has gone because of a lack of apprc
dation of the dignity of labor; and sometimes  he has  gone  1 ause he lias  failed
to see his opportunities on the farm. And
the fact that he has not always bettered
his condition has suggested a possibility
of at least bringing about a more intelligent   consi.leration  of  the  question.
With the lessening of distance between
town and country by telephone, interur-
bans and rural mail routes; with the conveniences of life brought to the very door
of the farmer: with much of the drudgery
ol farm life remove.1 by the marvelous machinery of the day. it looks as if the exodus
from the farm might \_ stayed. It is my
belief that the proper teaching or agriculture in the schools will bring about this
result.
In harmony with the above statements,
the Board of Education of Indiana, at
my request, recently prepared a course of
study in agriculture "for the township and
town high schools and the township consolidate! schools in Indiana." This course
was prepared by I>r.  W.  E.  Stone.   I*ri*si-
dent or Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind;
Superintendent <'. \. Kendall of the Indianapolis si bonis, and the undersigneil. with
.ho thought that the teaching of agriculture for the present shonld be confined to
the rural high schools. These high schools
furnish many of the teachers for the district schools. The training received in agriculture in these high Schools, plus tin*
further training in higher institutions.
would in a few years enable the teachers
to proceed intelligently with these sal
iu the ilistrict sihools when the state requires it. This will enable us to reach
the final goal much sooner than if wo introduced the work in the district schools
before the teachers are prepared.
Following   is   Secretary   Wilson's   reply:
Washington.  I).  ('., (Id.   1 I.   ',
Mr. Fansetl S. Cotton, Supt. of Public Instruction, Indianapolis, Indian*,
Hear Sir:    Absence    from     Washington
has prevented air earlier acknowledgement
of your letter of Scpiember 20, with regard  to the steps   vou are  taking to have
the elements of the ot agricul
ture Introduced Into the high schools   or
vour state.
I highly approve of what you are doing, and think you are working along cor-
i,.t line*-. There is no way I know of
by which tbe people of the United EH
can ho strengthen our agricultural population and thereby contribute to prosperity
as by educating those who an* to work on
the farms  t*.wards  their life  work.
Department of Agriculture is doing some*
thing, the agricultural colleges and experiment Stations   are   doing   something.     And
progress is being made; but the weak spot
is tin* one vou arc considering, '•when th<*
fanner's Imiv finishes his education, as he
usually docs, in tbe high school, his mini!
lias beet turned away from tin* farm." If
In* goes further, he is quite likely to go to
a literary institution that has li.. interest
in agriculture. So the ambitious boys on
the farm have been mostly lost to agriculture. 1 know no lietter prospect for
young   farmers   than   a   thorough   training
along the line of scientific agriculture and
the ascertainment of better method! that
can be applied io production.       l'rogress
is  being  made  all   along  the  line. The
matter is in tin* mind of every agricultural educator. I am greatly pleased to
know that the Superintendents of Instruction in our States are taking hold or it.
You have a groat state and a very productive one. but there is not an acre in Indiana but ean be made to produce double its
present output.       note is a lamend all
over tin* world for people trained along
these lines, and the demand within the
United Beaten at the present time is active and growing. Our agricultural colleges are becoming stronger, their faculties are better educated along agricultural
Bnea, and altogether the prospect is *
lent for better thing's    for the  fanners of
■untry.     Very truly yours.
(8igned) James Wilson. Secretary.
Tin: QEBAT BNOW STORM OF I860.
Editors lunUsns  Fsrmer
('. li., Middleton. asks about a big
snow that fell in 1808 <*r I860; it was
I860, but not tin* big snow lure. The
snow of 1809 was about S inches or hard to
tell the exact depth. The wind that followed for three days was terrible and Kl
or 12 degrees below sero. 'Uu* big snow
in this part of the country was December,
1 *•*'';. we had I inches of snow, and about
:; o'clock December 2S or 80 'he snow began to fall, and in the morning 12 Inches
had fallen.     Thnt was th* snow-
rail in my recollection. I remember tin*
great snow id 1842, I was in the army at
that  time. W.  W.  W.
Brooklyn.