CLOSET CONTENTS. 83 



glimmering away for several days and nights, per- 

 haps for weeks, and left thus until the stuff is 

 wanted as a top dressing for the garden. Exposure 

 to air and rains will slake the caustic lime. The 

 ultimate result of the cremation process is a heap of 

 dust-like material, consisting of ashes, charcoal and 

 loam, all strongly flavored with creosote, and for 

 that reason very repulsive to insect foes. This, 

 however, gives it only an additional value. The 

 material has, of course, considerable potash, some 

 lime, and perhaps phosphoric acid (from the bones). 



As ordinarily managed, the matter deposited in 



privy vaults is allowed to poison the air, soil, and 



perhaps the well-water to become a stench 



Contents ^^ ^^^ nostrils, a constant source of danger 



to health, and a nuisance generally, while 



it could easily be rendered entirely inoffensive to 



the most sensitive person with the most squeamish 



stomach, and made to add considerably to our stock 



of farm manures. 



The first thing to do is to stop digging vaults, or 

 to fill them up where already dug. Have the privy 

 high and dry, in a well-protected situation. Use 

 large stout buckets with strong handles under the 

 seat, or still better a wheelbarrow with sheet iron 

 box. A small scoopful of dry muck, dry loam, or 

 sifted coal ashes should be thrown into the recepta- 

 cle by each person immediately after leaving the 

 seat, and the buckets or wheelbarrow should be 

 emptied upon the compost heap regularly once or 

 twice a week. This will increase the manure heap 

 quite considerably both in quantity and quality. 



