Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-10-28
HUGH E. McELRoY.

press.
HUGH E. McELROY,
Secretary Boise Velley Fruit Grow
ers association.
Oil Storage Methods.
The following extracts from letters
have been furnished by Mr. McElroy
in regard to the proper method Of
storing oil for orchard heating
The manufacturers of the Trout
man Heater say:
you spoke in your letter of warm
ing the oil so as to reduce it to
liquid state. 1t is true that in small
bodies this oil. when it is very cold
conjeals, but it is not the case where
the oil is in a large body We had
no trouble in pumping this crude oil
out of our 3OO-gallon storage tanks
which we had in the ground, when
the temperature was down to 2 de-
grees. OF course, a gallon of oil,
when the temperature was that low,
would be stiff as lard, but the large
quantity keeps the oil in a liquid
state, so that artificial warming is
not necessary.
I'm passing, we might say that we
found that this oil burned just as
well when in a solid cake as it did in
liquid form. OF course. we used a
little hay as a wick to light it, and it
was only a matter of a minute before
tf,o hot ~.,c1foI tI,o ~
1--WE have tried several forms of
storage for oil; we believe under
ground storage far superior to having
tanks on the top of the ground. BY
so doing you can fill your tanks by
gravity II will be necessary to pump
it out, of course. but if your tanks
are above ground, unless you have
them on side hill, and have a means
of driving above and below, you will
have to fill and unload your tanks by
the pumping method. We personally
tried galvanized iron tanks and ce-
ment cisterns. with us, the cement
cisterns, and we believe it would be
the same with you, are cheaper, and
our experience has been that they
will hold oil Just as satisfactorily, if
properly constructed. In the circu-
lar. which we allude to, we give the
formula for such cistern and if
carefully followed we see no reason
why they should not be entirely salts
factory In having either galvanized
tanks or cisterns. whether below or
above ground. it is important that
they be rooted over so as to make
them absolutely watertight. If water
gets in this oil. it makes it sputter
when burning and often boils over,
causing a waste of oil. IL is for this
reason also that we furnish covers for
our heaters. so that they will be en-
tirely protected when out in the or
chard."
Pioneer Orchard Heater.
The letter of Mr.. Hamilton. the
Pioneer Orchard heater, is quoted in
full:
Replying to yours of the 25th,
relative to oil storage. will say that
the writer has used cement cistern
/ for two years and to date the walls of
the cistern are in apparently as good
condition as when first used Win
say. however, that if cement is used
the walls should be well seasoned. /
mean by this that the cistern sould
be constructed several months before
palcing oil in it. The walls should be
at least 6 inches thick. while s inches
would be better.
1.-The cement should be used about
I part cement to of sand and should
be run in the form wet enough so
be run in the woincheshforiSa2s l bp
be run in the form wet enoug so
there will be no possibility of any
porous condition in any portion Of
the wall Tt should then be well plas-
tered with cement about I part to
parts sand. II would be well to run
water into the cistern as soon as the
walls will stand it and allow it to re-
main until just before needed. for
the oil. when it should be pumped
out. and as a further precaution a
should be put on the plastering with
coat of hot coal tar or hot parraine
a brush.
This coating serves to close up
the pores in the cement and the oil
will not attack it. A good coat Of
lparrahne is probably best
There is no question. of course.
about a steel tank, and the weight of
iron tc be used should be deter