The Practical American Millwright and Miller

Excerpt from The Practical American Millwright and Miller: Comprising the Elementary Principles of Mechanics Mechanism, and Motive Power, Hydraulics, and Hydraulic Motor, Mill Dams, Saw-Mills, Grist-Mills, the Oat-Meal Mill, the Barley Mill, Wool Carding and Cloths Fulling and Dressings, Windmills, Steam Power, E
This reticence confines the aspiring learner mostly to his own resources, and the help obtained from books; and experience has taught us how meagre and unreliable most of the works on the subject are; what a small amount of real practical information they contain, tedious to pick out, and unsatisfactory when obtained.
Some scientific books contain theories and formula by which the velocity and power of water under different circumstances may be computed; but these, like the philosophical treatises on machinery, are generally written in a style that is not very intelligible to the ordinary learner, who, after he has unravelled all the mysterious scientific terms and algebraic formulae in which they are enveloped, often finds that they are inapplicable to his case, or unreliable, and he finds it easier and safer to gather information by studying work ing machinery, conversing with individuals who understand these subjects, or by experimenting with water and other things himself, and working out problems with the square and compasses on a planed board. The work published by Oliver Evans was an ex: cellent practical work in its day, but mills have so changed within the century that it is too far behind the times to be of much use at the present day.