Seo. 17.] WATER FOR THE FARMERY. 311 



barrels would do ; but if needed for the diy season only, it should bo more 

 than double. A cistern fourteen feet in diameter and twelve feet deep would 

 hold about 450 barrels— twenty feet in diameter, and the same depth, would 

 be sulHcieiit for 900 barrels. If built under ground, and contracted toward 

 tlic top, it Mould require to be a little larger in dimensions, to allow for the 

 contracted space. Such a contraction would bo absolutely necessary to 

 admit of convenient and safe covering at the top, and could be cft'ected 

 without any difKculty if built of masonry. The pressure of the water out- 

 ward would be counterbalanced by the pressure of tlie earth against the 

 exterior, especially if well rammed in as the wall is built. 



There are some portions of the country where the subsoil is underlaid by 

 slate or other rock which may be excavated. In such cases, it sometimes 

 happens that Avith a little care in cutting, the water-lime mortar may be ap- 

 ])licd immediately to the rocky walls, a shoulder abuvc liciug made on which 

 to build the contracted part of the wall. 



We have such a cistern, dug in tolerably compact earth, and jjlastercd 

 with cement, put on in two or three coats, using about two anil a half barrels 

 for a cistern eight feet wide and six feet deep. It was designed to be 

 deeper, which would have made a better proportion, but the excavators 

 came upon a ledge that coidd not be blasted, and was very difficult to pick 

 up, and the bottom being very rough, required more plaster. Tlie top is 

 covered with chestnut plank, over which is earth, and the water is let in 

 through a pipe beneath the surl'ace, and taken out by another that leads to 

 the pump in the kitchen. There is also an outlet pipe under the covering 

 for surplus waiter, so that when full, there is a body of water live feet deep 

 by eight wide, a.id this gives about sixty barrels; and being supplied by 

 1,G00 Kupeificial feet of roof, is not likely to fail fur I'amily Use. The water 

 is perfectly filtered by the most convenient filtering arrangement for a cis- 

 tern that we ever saw. 



This is by Peirce's patent porous cement pipes, which are laid in a sort 

 of net-work in the bottom of the cistern, and the pump-pipe attached to 

 them, so that no water can roach the i)ump that has not passetl through the 

 substance of tlio pipes, which are in a]>pearanee much like solid stone, and 

 more than an inch thick, which certainly forms a very perfect strainer to free 

 the rain water of all impurities. A writer in Ins recommendation to every- 

 body to build cisterns, says : 



' I have one in my house cellar, entirely 1)clow the bottom of tlio cellar, 

 six and half feet deep and five and a half in diameter, holding about 1,000 

 gallons. It was dug six feet eight inches deep and seven feet in diameter. 

 The bottom being made smooth, was laid over with brick. The mason then 

 began the side with brick laid in cement, leaving a sj^ace all round between 

 the In-ick and earth abaut five inches. After raising the work about eighteen 

 inches, he carefullv filled the si)ace between the brick and side of the hole 

 with earth, well and carefully pressed down. If you wet the earth ur clay 

 as you fill it in, it will bo more compact. 



