THE DISPOSAL OF REFUSE 



occupation demoralizing and degrading in the extreme. 

 If the refuse is to be picked over after it is tipped 

 upon hind, the overhauling should be done systematically 

 and under careful supervision. 



The dumping place should be well drained and the 

 top should be covered with cultivable earth as the dump- 

 ing progresses. It is a mistake to suppose that when 

 "made ground" is prepared in this way it is unhealthy. 

 There are dwellings in every large city, built directly 

 upon the top of former refuse heaps where no evidence 

 has ever existed to show that such sites are dangerous. 

 Most of the evils of this system lie in the careless ways 

 in which the dumping is carried on and the dumps 

 maintained. 



As cities grow in size, convenient places in which to 

 dump refuse become more and more difficult to find. 

 It is necessary to carry the wastes further and further 

 in order to reach the outskirts of the city. This adds 

 to the length of haul for the refuse carts and long 

 hauls add greatly to the expense. 



Refuse is waste, although this term has a somewhat 

 more restricted application than the word 



Composition 



waste in practical sanitation, being generally and oisposi- 

 applied to solid matters, whereas wastes may U s Rubbish 

 be liquid, solid, or gaseous. 



The term rubbish is commonly employed, particu- 

 larly in New York City, to mean that portion of the 

 solid wastes of a household which are most easily 

 inflammable, such as paper, boxes, cardboard, cloth, 

 and straw. Much of this material, when properly 

 sorted, is salable. 



Garbage, swill, and slop are terms used interchange- 

 ably in the United States for the wastes of kitchens. 



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