Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-07-11
Harvesting the Winds.

Iowa Homestead.
We take great deal of satisfaction
these days in The fact that we make the
winds of heaven pump the water for, and
gravitatiOn distribute it to our STOCK, and
supply water for house use rs we'll. 1t is
only within the last year that we have
learned what good service could be got
out of a windmill. The Homestead farms
have clear running water the entire year,
in nearly every field. and most Of the
year in the remainder. but until recently
water for use at the houses. barns and
feed lots had to be pumped by hand. and,
with the amount of stock on hand and in
different lots and yards, this was a SER
iOus item of expense. We finally hit up
on the eXpedient of digging well on the
highest point of land near one of the
buildings. putting up windmill and a
tank holding hundred barrels. and con
Meeting it with the various yards by one
inch gas-pipes. In each yard we have one
or more trOughs, in which the supply
from the tank is regulated by floats, and
now the entire supply is furnished auto
matically. We connect with each cattle
trough the simple devise known as a hog
waterer, and pigs of all sizes calves, cows,
horses and chickens come and drink
tie as they like. All the labor needed is
to throw the mill in geer and out. as
needed. and TO keep it oiled. No farmer
who has not tried the device can appre-
ciate Its value. The saving of labor in
pumping is large item each year, but
not the largest. The beauty of the sys-
tenn is that the stock have an abundant
supply of water available Whenever they
wish it. always cool in summer and mod
erately warm in winter, and with no
waste nor mud holes. There is no COM
plicated machinery to get out of order,
the supply being governed by simple
float and valve in each trough and hog
w8terer, and il works night and day and
every day in the week. The stock do not
suffer on Sunday nor holidays, and the
windmill will run just as well in the alb
sence of the owner as when he is at
home.
Farmers having windmills do not get
the good of them without these attach
mehts. II supply of water cannot be
obtained at the highest point, the water
can be easily forced to point where
gravitation can do its perfect work. A
hose can easily be attached to wash the
buggies. or cool of fat hogs on q hot day,
or supply clean baths. Alarm house can
have hydrant as well as not. and if the
house is lower than the tank. hot water
by a coil of pipe running round the pipe
of the stoye. We use the windmill of
Geo. AsCarter of Des Moines, but the
attachments can be applied to any wind
mill of sufficient power.
five had it to plaa again, We would
use the geared mill and do all needed
grinding. corn Smelling, churning, etc.
There is more power going to waste on
every farm than would do all this kind of
drudgery, and the farmer may as well
harness the winds ofheaven and let them
do his work. Where farmers have ten
or twelve-foot mills, the Boss Windmill
Motor" advertised in the Homestead.
can be attached and power obtained for
light work, such as Smelling corn, churn-
ing. etc.
The great problem in farming is to de-
crease the cost of production, and II the
winds can be hsrnesDed up and set to
work il Il cheaper than 70 hire hands.