Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 90.djvu/222

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��Popular Science Monthly

��RAIN.

MTER IN ~^

��COURSE OF

WATER WHEN CYi

15 TURNED

���A rectangular box containing a bed of char- coal and a screen is fitted to the roof leaders

Filtering Rainwater from the Leaders Through Charcoal

DESIGNED to be fitted to the roof leaders of a country house to filter all the rain water flowing into the cistern, the simple filter shown in the illustration above consists of a rectangular box with a bed of charcoal and with a removable cylinder at the top. One half of the cylinder is a screen and the other half is of solid galvanized iron. When the screen half is at the bottom, the water flows through it and thence down through the charcoal bed into the pipe leading to the cistern. The strainer catches the large refuse, such as leaves, and the charcoal removes the finer parti- cles of objectionable mat- ter.

When the cylinder screen is at the top the water collects in the solid half until it over- flows and passes out through a waste pipe to the ground. A removable lid is provided so that the leaves and other refuse which collect in the strain- er may be easily removed without inconvenience.

��Taking Care of Honey Bees During the Winter

BEES, as a rule, take care of themselves. It is their ability to do so which makes them valuable to man; for the honey they provide is not intended for any other use than their own. But in order to help them keep in such good condition that they will produce honey enough for themselves and an abundance to spare, it has been found ad- visable to keep them warm in winter by insulating their hives thoroughly, top, bot- tom and on all sides.

According to the Chief of the Bureau of Entomology, the choice of insulating ma- terials is of minor importance. The ma- terials commonly used — shavings, sawdust,, leaves and chaff — do not difi'er greatly in insulating value. It is the amount of pro- tection afforded which is the chief considera- tion. Bee-keepers have claimed that over- insulation is detrimental ; but the Chief of the Bureau insists that exhaustive tests have proved that it is scarcely possible to provide too much protection for the bees during the winter months and the spring.

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���The tank supplying the gas for the headlights will furnish fuel for the cooking, when a hot plate is used

��A Hot Plate Camp Stove for the Automobile Tourist HY build a fire to cook your meals while you are touring the country, when the tank supplying the gas for your headlights will perform the trick for you? The only equipment necessary, aside from the tank and a match, is a hot plate stove, weighing but six pounds, and small enough to be packed away under the seat. When the gasoline is turned on full the stove con- sumes about three and one-half feet of gas hour giving a flame suffi- ciently intense to boil a quart uf water in - ' three minutes. The stove consists of several burners and a plate upon which the food to be cooked is placed. All that is necessary to pre- pare the stove for use is to slip the rubber tubing on the hot plate.

The plate can be used in the same way as the small electric stove.

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