Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-07-15
Loads for Teams.
Country Gentleman.

Teamsters sometimes needlessly strain
their horses by loading them too heaVll y,
not having knowledge of the real weight
IF the material which constitutes the load;
and at other times they lose time by not
placing on enough for easy draught OF
lighter substances. 1t is well, therefore,
to learn the specific gravity of what they
draw, and to apply little simple arlth-
metic for the benefit of themselves and
their teams. They can readily measure
their wagon boxes, determine their con-
tents in cubic feet, and know just how
much to take for load. Half-rotten
manure, for example, weights nearly as
much as an equal bulk of water, requiring
about thirty-six cubic feet to the tun.
If the wagon box is three feet wide,
eleven feet long, and thirteen inches
deep, containing thirty-six cubic feet,
the manure, if compactly deposited, Will
weigh one ton, and if the horses are to
draw ton and half, the teamster must
pile the manure seven inches higher, with
sideboards ora deeper box, to give his
horses what they will easily convey.
But another important matter must be
taken into consideration, namely, the
kind of road to be passed over. hard
frozen and smooth surface, in winter, will
team which must be exerted in drawing a
load of manure over an unfrozen plowed
field; and on one recently plowed, not
more than one-fourth or one-fifth-which
is an additional reason for drawing out
and spreading manure II winter. These
differences in required tractiye power
on hard and soft roads, are the results of
measurement with the dynamometer.
mt estimates
the bulk of ton, the following figures
may be useful in practices: A load of
brick to weigh q ton, as they lie solid or
without interstices, and with the specific
gravity nearly double that of water,
would be about eighteen cubic feet. The
teanster, with little arithmetic, may
readily estimate how full to fill his wagon
box-usually little less than 600 bricks
to the ton. Tubular tile will be about
twice as bulky as brick, and about 500
two-inch pipe tile will weigh a ton, if
they are fifteen inches long and full
half inch thick. Some are made lighter,
and more are required for the given
weight. anthracite coal has specific
gravity of about 1.55, but the interstices
| in ton load make it occupy thirty cubic
feet. Bitumlnous coal is lighter, and
nearly thirty-six cubic feet are required
for the same weight. Charcoal is barely
one-third as heavy as anthracite, and
nearly a hundred cubic feet are required
| for a load. water tank for supplying
farm engine, or drawing water for farm
use, should hold thirty three feet for
each ton. Land plaster or gypsum,
ground, will weigh about ton for every
twenty cubic feet; and lime, in its COM
mon condition and fresh, will require
over twice that bulk. It's weight is nearly
doubled if thoroughly air-slacked, and
hence the economy of always drawing
lime, is from distance, while it is fresh.
Swamp muck or peat varies with its con-
dition as to wetness, and the amount of
earth or sand which it cantains, washed
into it during its formation, making a
difference of thirty-five to eighty pounds
to the cubic foot. When well dried, a
ton would require seventy or eighty cubic
feet; more commonly, one-half that bulk
would be as heavy; and wet and earthly
not more than twenty-five or thirty cubic
| feet
The specific gravity of slick is more
than two and a half times as great as
that of water, but the interstices in a
load of sand reduce its weight to less
than twice that of water. Sand also
varies with the earth and water which it
contains, but the average is about TWEEN
| ty-two cubic feet to the ton. Cord wood
varies with the kind of wood, and with
the degree of dryness. Seasoned pine
and other light kinds weigh only half as
much as water, while several of the hard
kinds,when green, are heavier than water.
In weight q cord will vary whether green
or dry, round or split, crooked or straight
light or heavy, and loosely or compactly
laid. The average weight of a cord OF
| the lightest kinds, deducting one-third
for interstices, will be about 2 800 pounds
A cord of seasoned maple weighs nearly
two tons. Unseasoned, it would contain
over half ton of water. Limestone is
| about two and half times heavier than