Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1879 — MULTUM IN PARVO. [ARTICLE]

MULTUM IN PARVO.

A Budget of Useful Information. HOW MUCH IS A HOUSE-POWER. The NeW York Herald thns describes a horse-power: This question is frequently asked: What is understood by a horse-power, and why came that way of reckoning to be adopted and brought into general use? Before the power of steam was generally known and applied to mechanical purposes, horses were used to raise coal and other heavy bodies. Mr. Moots, in his experiments, carefully compared the relative power of the different breeds of horses, and found its average equal to raising 33,000 pounds one foot per minute, or, what is equivalent, to raise 330 pounds 100 feet, or 100 pounds 330 feet during that space of time when attached to a lever or sweep of given length. This afterward became the standard of measuring power or force applied to mechanical purposes, and which is still retained in common use. A CONVENIENT LAND MEASURE. To aid farmers in arriving at accuracy in estimating the amount of land in different fields under cultivation, the following table is given: Five yards wide by 968 long contains one acre. Ten yards wide by 484 long contains one acre. Twenty yards wide by 242 long contains one acre. Forty yards wide by 121 long contains one acre. Seventy yards wide by 69£ long contains one acre. Eighty yards wide by 60| long contains one acre. Sixty feet wide by 726 long contains one acre. One hundred and ten feet wide by 397 long contains one acre. One hundred and thirty feet wide by 363 long contains one acre. Two hundred and twenty feet wide by long contains one acre. Four hundred and forty feet wide by 99 long contains one acre.

EXCELLENT INTEREST RULES. Finding the interest on any principal for any number of days. The answer in each case being cents, separate the two right-hand figures of the answer to express it in dollars and cents. Four per cent.—Multiply the principal by the number of days to run; separate the right hand figure from product and divide by 9. Five per cent.—Multiply by number of days and divide by 72. Six per cent. —Multiply by number of days and divide by 43. Nine per cent. —Multiply by number of days, separate right-hand figure, and divide by 6. Ten per cent.—Multiply by number of days, separate right-hand figure and divide by 36. Twelve per cent.—Multiply by number of days, separate righthand figure and divide by 3. Fifteen per cent.—Multiply by number of days and divide by 24. Eighteen per cent. —Multiply by number of days, separate right-hand figure, and divide by 2. Twenty .per cent.—Multiply by number of days and divide by 18. Twenty-four per cent. —Multiply by number of days and divide by 15. ESTIMATING MEABURES. It is often useful to have a few approximate data to deduce weights and measures from. Here is a correct table, which, however, does not aim at great accuracy, but may serve to make a rough estimate when it is necessary to reduce measures: A pint of water weighs nearly 1 pound and is equal to about 27 cubic inches, or a square box 3 inches long, 3 inches wide and 3 inches deep. A quart of water weighs nearly 2 pounds and is equal to a square box of about 4 by 4 inches and 3i inches deep. A gallon of water weighs from 8 to 10 pounds, according to the size of the gallon, and is equal .to a box 6 by 6 inches square, and 6, 7 or 7i inches deep. A cubic foot of water weighs nearly 63 pounds—more correctly 62| pounds —and contains from 7 to 8 gallons, according to the kind of gallon used. A peck is equal to a box 8 by 8 square and 8 inches deep. A bushel almost fills a box 12 by 12 inches square and 24 inches deep, or 2 cubic feet. A barrel of water almost fills a box 2 by 2 feet square and 1£ feet deep, or 6 cubic feet. Petroleum barrels contain 40 gallons, or nearly 5 cubic feet.