POISONS OF THE FARMER'S LIFE. 19 



vail, as the air during the summer months has been silently 

 but continually permeating our houses, until the body is so 

 loaded that the low, lingering fever sets in as a necessary 

 result of accumulating poisoning. 



In view of this fact, is it not a hopeless task to try to relieve 

 ourselves of this evil, unless we adopt the Chinese custom of 

 living in a boat, or else of going up in a balloon ? 



The first common-sense antidote is to carefully absorb all 

 the animal manure or filth on our own premises by dry earth, 

 loam or ashes. When this is done, ventilate the cellar. The 

 first day in spring or late winter, when the cellar windows 

 can be opened, then let the air course freely through it. And 

 never, till the next early winter chill threatens to freeze the 

 succulents, allow them to be closed. Allow the air to stir 

 and be most thoroughly stirred in the lower stories of the 

 house, cellar and all ; and then, saving the tin-roofed garret, 

 the other stories will be quite sure to be ventilated also. Or 

 if the housekeeper ventilates her cellar and first stories, she 

 will be quite apt to ventilate the chambers. "Take care of 

 the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves." 



After you have got a good current of air regularly going 

 through the cellar, then give it some light. Oh, what an 

 enemy to immorality, to deadly influences of all sorts, spirit- 

 ual and physical, is the pure sunlight ! Let the sunlight 

 in and through the cellar, if you would have the best protec- 

 tion to the wife and children at home. If typhoid fever and 

 dysentery are preferred, then keep right on, and let alone a 

 dark, damp and dangerous cellar. When you have let the air 

 and light into your cellar, then aid the sun to make it lighter 

 and sweeter by thoroughly washing the ceiling and sides with 

 lime wash (whitewash). The lime will not only protect the 

 timbers from decay and fire, but it will destroy some of the 

 virulence of many deadly gases. It will help, also, to find the 

 rat-holes, the decaying timber, block of wood, vegetable, or 

 meat— those powerful farmer's poisons. 



But a more visible and odorous farmer's poison is to be 

 found hach of the shed and the kitchen, and in the barn-yard. 

 Around how many farmers' buildings — clear round, I mean — 

 can you go, this afternoon, within ten feet of them, without 



