74 Agriculture/ Guzette of N.S.JV. {Jan. 2, 1908. 



Rural Hygiene. 



I'm-: iiiij)ui-t;Micc of kcc|iiiiK the closets ill till- ciiuiitry in ;i siiiiiliu'.v coiidition 

 is lijirdly I'cniiscd. 'I'licrc is alisoluldy iki rcasun wliv tlirsc places sIkhiIiI lie 

 in the iiiiclciiii ami insujiitury coiulit i<iii they trci|iiciii ly arc. Tlicy arc too 

 often a liai-hoiir and l»rcc(lin<r-;:roiind for flics, uliicli arc iKitoriims as 

 carriers of disease, are kej»l in a dtule of (li>rc|>air. with iinsnilaMc (tr leaky 

 hnekets. and are generally a ]>laee of eorniption and e\ il smells. If there 

 was any ditlicidty ahonl maiiitainiiii;' these [)laees in a sanilai'y condition it 

 wonld !)(• a ditferi'iit matter, hut the means for keepin.u: the closets in a 

 perfectly sweet and wholesome state are to hand everywhere in the eoiiiitry. 

 The following extract from Thr Worlil's Work-, dealing with Dr. Poorc's 

 Rural Hygiene, by Mr. Allport, author of " Inexpensive Holiday Homes." 

 is of interest to farmers, butter factory managers, and all dwellers in areas 

 not served by sewage or municipal sanitary systems. 



"As one who takes a great interest in this stdiject, and who had the 

 advantage of freiinent discussion with the deceas(>d reformer, both on his 

 Andover ])roperty and elsewhere, may I be allowed to give the residts of my 

 own practical experience of his methods with regard to solid and litpiid 

 sewage. I have for about five years adopted his systems at a country 

 bungalow of my own, and although I believe his theories to be practically 

 right, I have found that there are several jwints not generally known-which 

 materially affect their satisfactory working. When going over with the 

 ■doctor his bountifully manured garden at Andover, we tnriuMl over the soil 

 in several ))laces at which the dates of manuring were known. And we 

 found, even where twelve months had cla])sed, then' were still freiinent 

 instances of excrement quite undecomposed. 



"His plan was to bury the excreta in a (Much trench, and put the soil 

 removed in forming the next trench on top. 1 have found that if no trench 

 is made, the contents of the buckets being ]iut on the surface, and only 

 sufficient soil to conceal their character raked over them, tlie <lecomposit ion 

 is exceedingly rapid, a few weeks destroying all trace of organic matter. 

 The application is best made in the intervals between already growing 

 Ijlants, which are never injured by it. 



"There is one matter in this connection which should he insisted u])on. 

 Each closet should have two buckets to he used alternately, the one just 

 emptied being as recommended by Dr. Poore. rinsed with dry earth, llwn jml 

 ■under cover, in llic open air. tuitil its tui'u for nsc comes round. It will then 

 1h' absolutely free from odour. Ignorance of this essential condition is 

 responsible for all, or nearly, the prejudice against the earth closet. 



" I find an admixture of roughly sifted peat-moss litter (not obtainable 

 here) a great imi)rovement to the earth and ashes generally employc^d in 

 earth closets, and 1 have aluuuloned all mechanical contrivances in favour <if 

 the old-fashioned box and scoop, which are infallible in operation, and do 

 not demand perfectly dry and sifted earth." 



