NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3494, 22 February 1921, Page 35

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Questions for reply in coming issue to be toeeiTed not later than SATURDAY night. Questions will NOT be replied to through the poet.

Wxandotte.— We cannot ascertain if there are any agents in Dunedin for the Cypher Incubator. We are informed that few, if any, have been imported since the war. Tanve Fox asks the population (1) of Palmerston North, (2) Invercargill. (1) According to the last (1916) census the population of Palmerston North is 12,829. (2) Invercargill- 14,154, and Invercargill South 1,712, making a total of 15,866. Enquirer, Momona. —A lady correspondent at Pukeuri Junction, who, with her late husband, was a passenger on the ship, lias replied to your query, that the ship Otago, commanded by Captain Leslie, arrived at Port Chalmers on August 28, 1874. Our files confirm this statement. One of the crew of the James Nicol Fleming, a sister ship, also wrote giving some information which he thought might be useful in looking up the exact date. Constant Reader states that the Otago, under tile command of Captain Stuart, arrived at Port Chalmers in 1873. Hedgehops asks how to make potash soap.— Break up Blb potash into small lumps and put into an iron pot with about three gallons of boiling water. Melt in another iron pot about Blb clarified fat; put three or four gallons of water into a clean barrel and add to it a ladleful each of the lye and fat. Stir thoroughly, and add the lye and fat, a single ladleful of each at a time until the whole is thoroughly mixed. Then stir in a ladleful of hot water at a time until the barrel is full. Stir till the mixture becomes a creamy mass, put away for three months in a moderately cool place, and it will be ready for use. It. S. A. asks (1) for information regarding tlie proper feed for doves. (2) Are baths necessary? (1) An excellent food is comprised of equal parts of crushed wheat, crushed maize, hemp3eed, and canary seed mixed together. Keep plenty of sharp grit handy for the birds. (2) It is advisable to have a bath or howl of water so that the birds may have a bath, hut it must, of course, he voluntarily taken by them. Constant Reader. —The dustless dusters are cleaned by washing with warm water and soap. Though they are chemically treated in the first place, the washing does not affect them. Onehunga Water. —Mr H. M. Davev, Frederick street, replies:—ln this case I consulted Mr 51' I .in lock, who is experienced in marine pumping, while I have had much to do with hydraulic work. From your description of your trouble, we considered that the fault might be found in the apparently small air vessels at the three pumps, and suggest that perhaps there is not sufficient air admitted into the suction pipes of the pumps to keep them with sufficient air at all times. Neither of us have seen the “fillers,” as you call them, but suppose that they are placed where they are to supply air to the air vessels? Is that so? You might therefore write again either if you aro sure that the local air vessels have plenty of air, of when you allow them to get it. From the photographs sent we presume that the gauge glasses on the large air vessels are to indicate the amount of air in them, but probably there aro not any of these gauge glasses on the large air vessels arc to indicate tlie amount of air in them, but probably there are not any of these glasses on the local ones. Kindly reply if this is so. D. H., Glenhope—Mr If. M. Driver, Coin-. Jilting Engineer, 61 Frederick street, replies: —With the splendid fall and amount of water you state, you should have about fully 27 B.H.P. The pipes should not be less than 17in in diameter, that is if you want to get the best result as to power from the water, always remember pipes cannot be too latgo, but they may bo too small,

and so create friction and consequent loss of power. The best class of wheel for your conditions -is a pelton wheel, that is adapted for carrying the six heads ol water you refer to. I specially mention this, as you might find a wheel that was only intended for much less, and so the water would merely choke, or pass over the wheel, without giving you your full power. Get one on the small diameter, as it goes quicker than a big one. A sft diameter wheel should travel about 100 revolutions per minute; other sized wheels can be calculated from this as the rim or periphery speed should be about the same for that fall, so a wheel twice the diameter goes at half the speed, and so on in proportion. You have done what so many do not db; you have given every particular in a few words, so that you can get a decided reply without being asked for further information, thereby not having to put up with delay. Anxious. —lt is proposed by regulations to declare an open season for opossums during the month of June in the present year, and the necessary provision has been made for the issue of licenses, and in order to prevent illicit trading in opossiun skins, all such skins proposed to be disposed of for gain must be sold through a licensed broker. R. R. \V., Southland!. —Mr 11. 51. Davey, Consulting Engineer, 64 Frederick street, replies:—l do not quite understand some of your figures. The one you make as 2.50 is quite understandable, though in the tables I have it is slightly less, as it is there marked 2.36; however, this difference is but slight. At 2.36 the amount would be nearly 97, and at 2.50 it would lie 102 J, nearly as you have it, at 103. "Well then, as a Government head is a foot per second, it is 60 per minute, and yo-ur supply is over li Government heads of water, it being 1 2-3 (one and two-thirds). "What is, however, needing explanation is (“the fall over weir of 9in.”) If that means the maximum flow, it is 10.88 per inch. If the water is as you say, below the ground level of your house, what you need is a small hydraulic ram. It would be cheaper than a wheel, which would have to be furnished with a pump, etc., while the conditions seem quite right for a ram. Of course, however, if you want the power, then you would have to get a wheel or a email turbine, when you could use the power when not pumping. If a wheel, an overshot is better than a breast wheel, if you have fall enough, as you seem to have for a small wheel. An overshot is the most efficient of water wheels. You have therefore to decide if you want the power for other tilings, or if you merely want to raise water; if the latter, then a ram; if the former, then a wheel, and either pump or a chain of buckets like small dredge buckets would lift water, and you could have pu 1 leys for power on the wheel as well. I believe Messrs A. and T. Burt, of Cumberland street, Dunedin, would be able to supply you with what you would want in either case when you have decided to give them all particulars as to the maximum and minimum quantities of your water in the creek, and any other particulars to enable them to give you the most suitable article for your purposes. A rough sketch of the positions of the wheel or ram, the house, the creek, the dam proposed, etc., giving approximate measurements, would be most useful in giving your ordfer to them.