532 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



mend this water for drinking purposes for the family, as many writers do, though it is used 

 in many of the lime sections of the country for this purpose, but we must say that when 

 properly filtered (as it always should be), we prefer it to that of many wells and springs that 

 we have tested. It is excellent for the various household purposes, such as washing, being 

 very soft, which renders that necessary operation in every household a much easier task than 

 when performed with the hard water from many wells or springs, and does not require much 

 more than half the amount of soap that hard water does. Aside from the convenience of 

 having cistern-water for use, where other supply of water is uncertain, or rain-water is used, 

 it is much better for the premises to have it collected, than running into the cellars and 

 about the buildings, besides, eaves-troughs and conductors are a great protection to the yard 

 manure when supplied to a barn, and prevent many dollars worth, yearly, from washing 

 away, or leaching into the soil; hence, when a barn is supplied with a good capacious cistern, 

 two very desirable benefits result from this means of water supply. Cisterns or tanks are 

 constructed in various ways ; sometimes of wood, lined with lead, zinc, cement, or of slate, 

 in which latter case the sides and bottoms are grooved and cemented, to prevent leak 

 age. The usual and better method is to construct a cistern of stone or brick, and cement it 

 at the bottom and sides. When stones are used for this purpose, small ones of nearly a uni 

 form size are selected, but brick is to be preferred. When lead or zinc are used for lining a 

 cistern, the water is unfit for drinking purposes, either being poisonous. 



In a compact clay soil, cisterns are often made for stock purposes, by making an exca 

 vation of sufficient size, and laying a thick coating of cement over the entire inner surface, 

 from which reservoir the water is to be pumped into troughs for the stock. Water for house 

 hold purposes should always be filtered. Cisterns of this kind should be made in two apart 

 ments, so as to contain water filtered ready for use in the one, while the other receives it from 

 the pipes. In cementing the interior of a cistern, great care should be used in making it per 

 fectly water-tight ; hence, the sides and bottoms should be properly joined, and the cement 

 well prepared before applying. The most desirable form for a cistern is circular, though they 

 are made in various forms. A recent agricultural writer describes that of his barn as being 

 a long brick arch, running under the earth drive-way, with a capacity for holding 500 bar 

 rels. This cistern runs a foot deeper than the basement floor of the barn, and as near the top 

 and ends of the bank as is safe, in view of frost. The size will depend upon the amount of 

 water to be used, and the extent of surface of the roofs to furnish the supply. It is better to 

 have a cistern larger than necessary, rather than too small. A large cistern does not cost as 

 much, in proportion to its size, as a small one. 



A circular cistern five and a half feet in diameter will hold, for every ten inches in depth, 

 a little more than one hundred and forty-eight and a half gallons. 



According to the best scientific authority, the average amount of rain in the United 

 States is about three feet per year, or at the rate of about three inches per month. 



Upon this average, every inch of rain-fall upon each ten feet square of the roof will 

 amount to a little more than two barrels, and a little more than seventy-two barrels a year 

 (based upon the calculation of three feet of rain) ; therefore, a barn of only ordinary dimen 

 sions would supply a large amount of water during the season, when rains are heavy or 

 frequent. 



The cistern should be arched over with brick, leaving an opening for a trap-door at the 

 top large enough to admit a man when necessary to clean out the interior. This opening 

 should be kept covered with a closely-fitting trap-door. It should be kept constantly closed, 

 not only to exclude rats and other vermin, but because of being very dangerous for children, 

 who, through the carelessness of parents or servants, are frequently drowned in such places. 

 After a long season of dry weather, roofs of buildings are usually quite dusty; therefore it 

 is better to have pipes connecting the eaves with the cistern so arranged that the water can 



