RUEAL ENGINEERING. 591 



laying tile and iron drains from house to sewer or outfall at septic tank ; collec- 

 tion and storage of rain water; covering sink drip boards with sheet metal ; roof 

 connections, bubbling fountains, plumbing tests; structural features of country- 

 plumbing systems ; examples of work in country schools, office buildings, sta- 

 tions, find other public buildings; and installing plumbing in old buildings. 



Farm sanitation, C. H. Wright (Jour. Dept. Agr. Victoria, 11 {1913), Nos. 

 Ii, pp. 215-220, figs. 11; 5, pp. 306-311, figs. 12; 7, pp. 410-413, figs. 4; 12 {1914), 

 No. 4, pp. 228-230, figs. 3). — Methods of arranging plumbing for the disposal 

 of sewage from farmhouses are described and illustrated and the biological 

 action in septic tanks and filters is discussed. The author advocates the use of 

 house sewer trap, on the ground that the seals in fixture traps may be de- 

 stroyed at times, thus permitting the escape of sewer gas. 



Methods of sewag-e disposal for country homes, O. M. Ball and H. Cassiday 

 {Agr. and Mecli. Col. Tex. [Evt. Ser. Bui. 1] {1914), PP- 3-10, figs. 3).— This 

 bulletin gives the usual description of the process of sewage disposal by means 

 of sewage tanks and filters and illustrates two tyiies of septic tank. The Ken- 

 tucky sanitary privy is also described and illustrated. In opposition to the usual 

 statement, it is stated that " the septic tank, when properly constructed and not 

 overloaded, will work automatically and will deliver an effluent about 80 per 

 cent pure." 



Sewage disposal in the country {Bui. Vt. Bd. Health, 15 {1915), No. 3, pp. 

 33-45, pis. 2, figs. 2). — It is the purpose of this paper to describe simple meth- 

 ods for disposing of farm sewage, the usual discussion of the process of sewage 

 disposal by sewage tanks and filters being included. 



It is stated that a common misunderstanding exists regarding the action of 

 a septic tank. " It is thought that this tank completely purifies the sewage and 

 that the overflow from such a tank can be freely discharged into a stream used 

 for drinking purposes. Such, however, is far from being the true condition, as 

 the work of this tank is a preliminary process, and must be followed up by 

 other processes if full ijurification of the sewage is required." 



Investigations on the disposal of canning factory wastes at Washington, 

 Illinois, D. Englis {Univ. III. Bui., 11 {1914), No. 38, pp. 339-373, figs. 12).— 

 A general discussion of the subject of the disposal of canning factory wastes 

 and a brief review of the work of others bearing on the subject is followed by 

 a report of experiments on the purification and disposal of corn and i^ea canning 

 wastes. 



Such crude liquid wastes are high in color, carry more or less suspended mat- 

 ter when fresh, have an odor characteristic of the vegetable being canned, and 

 when in a putrescible condition have a veiy foul odor. The corn wastes pu- 

 tresce less rapidly than do the pea wastes. 



It was found that the bulk of the coarser solids in both wastes may be 

 removed by a suitably designed screen chamber. Plain settling basins remove a 

 comparatively small quantity of solid matter by sedimentation. " Generally 

 speaking, it would be better to make no effort to settle the solids after they 

 have passed the screens, but rather pass them through a skimming chamber or 

 through fine screens before the liquid enters the dosing chamber or reservoir. 

 The entire contents of the dosing chamber or reservoir, including such sludge 

 as may settle, can best be disposed of on filters or broad irrigation beds. Expe- 

 rience during the experiments would indicate that the storage reservoir or 

 dosing chamber should be of sufiicient capacity to cover a single filter unit to 

 a depth of about 3 in., and this quantity should be applied within nn hour." 



For actual working conditions it is believed inadvisable to apply sewage at 

 a rate greater than 40,000 gal. per acre per day. " The cultivation of the beds 

 is an important feature in securing success, and this cultivation can best be 



