NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 51

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Q\t4*tion* for reply in coming iutu to bt rtctiwtd not UlUr than MONDAY ni§ht.

Hay Fevbb.— Will T. P. K. oblige with his address? The note on which it was given some weeks since has been 'mislaid. Squatter. — Killing bees in order to take honey is an out-of-date and barbarou* method. Turn up the hive, cut out what honey you require, and leave the bees with about 201b of honey for the winter. In the spring transfer to a frame hive and you have the nucleus of a- profitable hobby. Instructions in Government Bulletin Nos. 6 and 18, obtainable at Department of Agriculture. R. O. T. desires information as to a preparation which could be applied to a tent fly to preserve it from rotting so quickly. "He wants to know if sugar of lead has a beneficial effect, and *sks how to apply it. Probably the soaking of the fly in a solution of bark tan would prove effective. The quantities recommended are 2lb of finely bruised tan to two gallons of boiling water, the clear solution being strained off after it has stood an hour or two. In this liquid the fly should lie for 24 hours, and then be well washed in fresh water and carefully dried. The fly could be mede waterproof, with the result that it would not rot readily, by using a varnish, made as follows : — Dissolve 21b soft soap in & little water, and mix with an aqueous solution of sulphate of iron. The washed, and* dried soap is then dissolved in 31b of linseed 011 in which half a pound of caoutchouc has been dissolved. Sugar of lead used in conjunction with an alum mixture can be used for making cloth waterproof. Anxious. — (1) To make elderberry wine: To every six gallons of berries add seven of water, a quarter of a fipuud of allspice, 2oz of ginger, and a few cloves. Boil this for half an hour, by which time it will - probably be wasted to seven or eight gallons. Squeeze the berries veil through a. sieve, adding to every gallon 3jlb of moist su£«r; 'the quaaitity then will be sufficient for a nine-gallon cask. The sugar being added, boil till the liquor becomes clear, taking the scum off as it rises., Remove it to a cool place and put it into the cask. When lukewarm add to it a piece of coated bread dipped in thick yeast. Should fermentation not have taken place on the next day, a small quantity of wine being taken ' out and made to boil, and then replaced in the cask, will most probably excite it; ' if not, another piece of bread dipped in yeast as before must be added. Let it re- " main about a week. When the fermentation has subsided fill up the cask and bung it down closely. It will be fit to drink in about three months, but will keep for years. (2) To make rhubarb wine: Take 51b of rhubarb cut into small pieces; add a > gallon of cold water, <and put into a tub for eight or nine days, etirring it well two 'or three times each day. Strain, and 'to every gallon add 43 b of loaf sugar, the juice and half a rind of a lemon; put it into a cask with half an ounce of. isinglass dissolved in a little of the liquor. A gill of brandy may be added. Bung the cask • closely for a month, and bottle in 10 or 12 months more. (3) You have evidently not boiled your jam for a sufficient length of time. Inquires.— A pet animal's skin can be preserved for a rug mat as follows:— Make a lather with soap and hot water in the usual way. When, coo!, wash the skin thoroughly in this, so that the wool is fpite dean, and afterword, wash tire oo*d

out completely in oo!3 water. Make c, solution of alum andl salt by dissolving lib of each in a gallon of water and mixing; thus two gallons are obtained. The skin ia sometimes placed for a few days in a mixture of bran and water, which slightly ferments. It is then stretched on an old door or board, and nailed along the edges in this position,, ' with the wool or hair next the board. While thus arranged, the fleshy aide is daily in the open air washed or sponged with the solution of alum' and salt until the curing process Is complete. Some state that it should be soaked in the solution for 12 hours, but we have carried out th© other plan successfully, although ii took more time. Keep the skin well stretched on the board all the time. After some days, before the skin is dry, sprinkle on the flesh side loz each of finely-powdered alum and saltpetre, and rub it in well. If the woal is not now firm on the skin, let is remain a day or two and again rub with alum. Again test, «nd if all right add to some of the solution of alum and salt some wheaten flour and yolk of egg until the whole is in a paste, about as thick as honey. This paste is spread over the fleshy side, and allowed to remain for about 24 hours, while being worked in occasionally. It softens tho leather. Stretch the skin and allow it to dry. Then polish off with pumice stone. Another method suggested is to treat repeatedly with a "chrome liquor," which is applied to the- rear' or hairless side only of the skin, and is not allowed to come in contact with the wool. The following formula is found to give good results: — Potassium bichromate,s.3lb; hydrochloric ncid, half a gallon; glucose, l£lb to 21b; and water enough to make two gallons. When the skinlias been completely impregnated with ' the liquor, it may be dried, degreased, . scoured, and dyed. Skins thus treated are claimed to be more pliable than thoee » tannect 1 by older processes. A Miner, Charlton. — H. M. Davey, consulting engineer, 91a Princes street, replies: — Yes, a lOin pump such as you describe should! easily lift the quantity you name; they are listed, in the case of water only, to do more. The rate of travel is given for such pumps at 600 per minute, though it is possible that yours might go slower with gravel to lift. Also, the B.H.P. you sayp you have should be sufficient. I believe that if you allow the intake to be uncovered you will not lift, or not lift much, depending on the amount which happens to be uncovered. If liable to such happenings it would be wise to make easy provision for refilling the pump, which can be provided for in making the pump. Now, as regards your sketches, you are right in having a wide and parallel sided runner as you show, but you say nothing about the casing. This is important, and was brought out, I think, by the late Mr Perry. I belieVe that Messrs Cossens and Black have patterns . for, and have made many of just the pumps ! you want. You want the casing so that ' the stones, etc., can pass between the , Tunner and either end of it, or else the , runner is very liable to jam, sooner or j later, perhaps resulting in a breakdown. | ~" You will be right in lowering- the pump, as ' you say, - and less, liable to lose your ' vacuum. (2) I consulted with Mr Robert M'Clihtock, Union street, in this matter; he prepares students to pass examinations and is well up in it, and he kindly renlies as- follows:— The brake horse power which ' could be got from a non-condensing engine, cylinder lOin diameter by 12in stroke, cutting off steam at nve<-eighths of the stroke ; Jboiler pressure 851b and revolutions 120 per minute. v Mean presnure = p (1 + hylog r) ■ — — back pressure \ t p = (Ps+ls) = 80, and taking tbe back pressure as 171b, 80 mean pressure = —(1 + '412) - 17 16 «= 531b 1 10* x -JhSi xs3x 2 x 129 Theoretical indicated = horse-powe? as given 33,000 out in cylinder. 10x10x7854x53x2x120 = — -=30*27 horse power, 33,000 , and allowing £5 for friotiontl loves. the brake > horse-power would be approximately 2£J, if the engine *s in good condition. Honet and Mary. — We published a receipe last week- for making mead, or honey beer, j We have no recipe for making mead for drinking shortly after it is made. As there appears to be a demand for mead recipes, we give one which differs consider- j ably from that published last week : — To every gallon of water put 41b <5f honey, and boil for three-quartersi of an hour, skimming it well in the meantime. To every gallon of this liquor «dd an ounce of hops, then boil for half an hour, and let stand until the following day, when it is to be put into the cask, and to 13 g»Uons of the liquor add a quart of brandy. Let it be tightly stopped till the 1 fermentation is over, and then bung it very close. If a large cask be made, a year should elapse before bottling; for , smaller casks the time should be proportioned accordingly. Nemo.— lf small branches of elderberry are hung in a room about the places most frequented by flies, »nd fly-papers placed in other parts, the plague of flies may be mitigated. Owaka. — The following table gives the information available as to the volunie of water discharged by various rivers as com- . pared Lwith the Molyneux. Two rough surveye were made of the Molyneux. The first given is that of Mr Balfour, and the second th*t of Sir James Hector:— | Area Discharge j Drained per minute (square miles) (cubic feet) Mississippi .. . 1,226,610 39,954,000 j Ganges .. ..• .. 432,480 12,420,000 ■ Irriwaddy . . — 4.500,000 Rhine 88,853 3.960,000 Nile .. . • 520,200 1,386.000 Molyneux .. .. 7,450 1,690,000 Molyneux .. . 8,24S 1,088.736