much better if you could run the pipe straight up from the engine but if this is not possible then we would recommend using long bends such as is used in steam engine practice instead of the sharp elbows. This would probably not make any difference in the loudness of the exhaust but it would have considerable effect upon the efficiency of the engine.

Question of I would like to have you explain G. F. W. the construction of storage batteries and give directions for caring for them when used for ignition and lighting purposes on automobiles.

Answer. There are two types of storage batteries in common use, the ordinary lead battery and the Edison nickel battery. The former is by far the more common because it is initially much cheaper. The elements of the lead battery consist of alternate plates of sponge lead and lead peroxide. The plates containing these two substances are grids made of metallic lead containing openings or pockets into which the sponge lead and the lead peroxide are pressed. The electrolyte or liquid in which the plates are immersed consists of a ten per cent solution of sulphuric acid and water.

The action of the ordinary storage battery does not differ materially from that of a primary cell. When a circuit is formed the chemicals act upon each other and this action results in the generation of electricity. When the battery is nearly discharged chemical action has gone about as far as it can go in one direction, that is, the chemicals forming the battery have undergone a change and new substances have been formed. In the case of the ordinary primary battery chemical action in the battery itself can take place in only one direction, but in the storage battery the action is reversible; consequently, it is possible to reduce the chemicals to their original condition by sending a current through the battery in the opposite direction from that of discharge.

The effect of recharging is to change the chemicals back into their original chemical form. In charging, the voltage of each cell gradually rises until it shows about two and a half volts. The charge should always be continued until both plates gas freely. The best way to charge a battery is to send the current in rapidly at the beginning and gradually decrease it until at the end of the period of charging the current flow is very small. Never send a heavy current into a battery toward the end of the charge. In case of loss of electrolyte from the cells due to evaporation, add either rain water or distilled water until the specific gravity, as shown by the hydrometer, is normal.

The Edison nickel battery is much more sturdy and can be charged at a higher rate or discharged without showing evidences of depreciation.

To take a battery out of commission it should first be fully charged, then given a good overcharge and then discharged down to 1.7 volts per cell. Immediately afterwards the electrolyte should be drawn off and either distilled water or rain water put in the cells. Discharge should then be continued until the voltage is reduced practically to zero. In most cases it is necessary to short circuit the cells in order to get them down nearly to zero with pure water as the electrolyte. Discharging the cells in water has no injurious effect. Upon complete discharge the water should be poured out of the cells and the plates thoroughly washed after which they may stand for a long while without deterioration.

Question of T. H. C.

Will you please answer the following questions?

1. Is there such a thing as a government license for a gas engineer and if so, how is it obtained?

2. How much power is generated at Niagara Falls?

3. Where is the largest turbine in the world and what is its power?

Answer.-1. The only Federal license for engineers are those connected with transportation over Federal territory, as, for example, on the Great Lakes and on the rivers. Engineers of passenger launches which carry travelers for hire must have engineers who have Federal licenses. 2. The potential power of Niagara Falls is 6,500,000-horse power. Under the treaty regulations with Great Britain only twenty-five per cent of this can be developed, of which 518,000horse power may be developed on the American side. At the present time 262,300-horse power is developed on the American side and 237,500-horse power on the Canadian side, making an aggregate of 499,800-horse power. This is distributed among the six companies operating at the Falls.

3. The largest water turbine, as far as capacity is concerned, is that which has recently been built by the I. P. Morris Company for the Washington Power Company. It is of the double-runner type and will develop a maximum of 25,000-horse power. The largest turbines of the single-runner type are those built for the Laurentide Company. They are rated at 20,000-horse power.

As far as dimensions are concerned, the turbines being built by the Cedar Rapids Manufacturing and Power Company on the St. Lawrence River hold the world's record. They will operate at a low head, however, and will develop 10,800horse power each.

There are very rich and extensive coal mines in Spitzbergen. Considerable quantity of this coal is mined and shipped to Kiruna in Swedish Lapland, which is in latitude 682 degrees north. It is used in operating probably the richest and largest iron mine in the world.

REST!

While the "Redemotor" does the Work

Everyone can use a "Redemotor" for power as they are designed especially for the small job.

Made in sizes from one-fourth to one horsepower they are the most adaptable and the only sensible thing to use for driving washing machines, separators, churns, railroad velocipedes, etc., and connected direct to a dynamo they form a perfect electric lighting set.

They are safe, sure and serviceable; strong and inexpensive. Made water or air cooled in various styles.

Let us tell you more about them.

Elgin Wheel & Engine Co., Elgin, Ill.

Box 96,

Detroit, Mich.

VEN you aint satisfied mit der business vot you got und how much money you are making, right den you can oxbect to get into troubles. I ought to haff known vot I aint cut oudt for a dairyman, but I dinks vot I can make more monies by making butter und selling it by private customers in der town.

So I buys me seferal more cows und dinks vot I am now going to be a millionaire quick. Vell, I can't tell aboudt dot millionaire business yet, but maybe it vill come oudt all right. I knows

In der mean time Catrina she haff come oudt to see how der new churn vorks und right avay I knows vot I am going to be a big fool.

Pefore I haff time to make any expostulations, Catrina she comes by der churn und pegins to ask foolish questions. Ach! vot foolish questions can a vomans ask ven she don't vant to know anydings.

She ask me vot am I doing und dot makes me nerfous und I can't get dot cofer on tight. Und she ask me vy am I getting madt und

vone ding, I don't know anyding aboudt making butter till I haff found it oudt yet.

I haff so many cows dot it it iss too much trouble to make der butter in der oldt fashioned vay so I buy a big churn vot mine gasoline enchine can turn aroundt.

Der achent he comes by mine house und sets it up und shows me how iss it run yet und he goes avay und say dot I am smart enough man to make goodt butter und if I come by his vife she vill buy some off dot butter yet.

Vell, I go und milk dose cows und separate der cream by der separator mit der enchine und I put der cream into der churn.

You see dere iss a little cofer vot you got to put on by der top off der churn to keep der cream from coming oudt ven der churn it turn aroundt und aroundt. So I go to fix dot after der cream iss all by der inside.

Und der enchine iss going und all vot you got to do iss to put on dot cofer und push a little lefer und der churn it goes roundt und roundt.

right avay I know dot I can't fasten dot cofer down if she don't go avay. But it aint no use cause she von't go avay if you want her to. So I chust vorked mit dot cofer till der svet rolled like dew drops from mine brow.

Und pretty quick Catrina she got so inquisitif dot she lean right ofer on dot veel to ask me a foolish question und she oxidentally pushed ofer der lefer vot makes der churn go aroundt yet. Himmel vot a cholt. I dinks I am torn into pieces ven dot churn giffs a chirk und starts to go aroundt.

I don't dare to let go pecause der cream vill all spill oudt und so I hang on by der cofer und go aroundt und aroundt.

Catrina she iss scared alright und she run first vone vay und next der oder vay und screamed, "Oh Jake, Oh Jake."

Und I tried to dell her vot to do but sometimes I am on dis side off der churn und sometimes I am on der oder side und she can only

hear half vot I say. I guess it sounded aboudt like dis:

svitch off get

* *

*

*

"Cat-* * * silly, turn ofer * und und stop * * * run und der police und der undertaker." Catrina she chumped aroundt like a chicken mit its tail feathers caught in der barn door und she not know vot to do yet. Und pretty quick she iss so oxcited dot she fainted und fell right ofer on dot lefer vot stop der churn.

Und right avay I comes down kerbump und der floor und dot cofer it slipped oudt off mine hands und der cream all run oudt quick all ofer mine countenance.

You bet I vas madt after I haff risked mine life to keep dot cream in der churn und after all it runs all ofer der floor. I gets me up quick mit der cream running all ofer mine face und I looked at dot catastrope mit disgust.

Und ven I see Catrina fainted by der end off der churn I runs und gets some vatter und poured it all ofer her headt. She comes by herself quick you bet und ve both looks so funny ve chust sit down und laff und laff.

Und Catrina she finally say, "Ach! Jake, mine dear, it iss goot vot you are not fat yet. You nefer could haff gone between dot churn und der floor if you haff been big aroundt like me."

I guess dot iss right. I ought to be gladt mit choy vot I aint fat.

There is no part of a gasoline engine equipment which should be more carefully looked after than the electric. Two or three years ago a man who had done a great deal of repairing of engines and who kept an account of all repairs made, found that more than one-third of the difficulties were due to ignition troubles; that is, there were broken wires, loose connections, worn out switches or something the matter with some part of the ignition mechanism. All of these accessories are being looked after at the present time much more closely than ever before. The wires are all of the stranded type and most of the companies are adopting the conduit system which, by the way, is the only proper system to use. While on the subject of accessory equipment, we wish to call attention to the very sturdy reliable switches made by the Sypher Manufacturing Company of Toledo, Ohio. They make a full line of switches and make and break coils and their prices are reasonable. Their new circular gives complete specifications of the goods they manufacture.

There have been a good many light weight tractors placed on the market and only a few of them have shown evidence of careful, intelligent design. Unfortunately a number have violated all the rules of good engineering. They have hurt the business and have caused loss to the manufacturer who made them and the farmer

who purchased them. At the present time the designing of light weight tractors is on a much higher plane and some of the new ones work exceedingly well. In considering these we are first attracted to the Strite tractor. This is a threewheeled machine with two wheels in front and one rear wheel which is the driver. The frame work is rigid, the motor is well designed and sturdy and the transmission is strong and all the gears run in oil. The width of this tractor is considerably less than that of the ordinary fourwheeled machine so that it is possible to have the center of draft almost exactly in line with the center of traction of the tractor, thus obviating side draft. There are a number of meritorious features about this machine which can not be fully appreciated without a personal inspection or at least a careful reading of the company's literature. They have just prepared a new circular, by the way, which gives specifications of the machine and a number of interesting illustrations which will enable the reader to form a very good opinion of the principal elements of construction. Address The Strite Tractor Company, 307 South Third Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

REMEDY LIES WITH THE PUBLIC.

The reduction of the enormous fire waste of the country, now amounting to nearly $225,000,000 a year, lies in the hands of the American public. If it can be brought to realize the enormous drain these preventable fires involve upon the national wealth, the hundreds of lives which are annually lost and that carelessness in one form or another is chiefly responsible for, they would check the waste by encouraging individual and municipal responsibility for securing better conditions. The average man apparently believes that the present proportion of fires is inevitable, just as our forefathers believed that plagues and epidemics were inevitable. The latter were prevented because the people individually and collectively were finally induced to give heed to proper sanitary rules. The epidemic of fires could be reduced as easily if the people individually and collectively would give heed to proper rules for the construction, protection and care of their property.

Thirty-four years ago agricultural products factures exclusive of food stuffs only 14.78 per formed 84.3 per cent of our exports and manucent. As indicative of the growth of the country during that time it is interesting to note that in 1913 the proportion of manufactured products in export trade had increased to 48.8 per cent, while that of agricultural products dropped to 46.1 per cent. With the increase in the export of manufactured goods there has come a corresponding increase in the importation of raw products for manufacturing.