220 The Farmstead 



many of which endanger not only health but life 

 itself ; it is therefore evident that all soiled water- 

 should be removed from the house immediately 

 and by the shortest practical route. But what to 

 do with the polluted water after it has been re- 

 moved from the rooms, becomes one of the most 

 difficult problems of modern civilization. The 

 first thought is to empty this sewage into streams 

 and lakes; but those living on the streams and 

 in the cities must secure their water-supply from 

 these sources. It is evident, then, that the 

 streams should not be polluted. The next 

 thought is to distribute the sewage over the 

 land, but this method is usually an expensive 

 one, and seldom can enough sandy land be se- 

 cured to absorb and filter the vast quantities of 

 sewage which modern conditions make necessary. 

 On the farm the same difficulties are pre- 

 sented, and the problem to be solved differs in 

 degree rather than in kind. If dry -earth closets 

 are used on the farm, there is still the kitchen 

 and laundry sewage to be provided for. While 

 disposing of this, provision may "also be made 

 for the night-soil, thus obviating two systems of 

 removing waste from the house. However, the 

 earth- closet will reduce the amount of liquid 

 sewage and increase the temptation to discharge 

 it into the streams which, above all things, 

 should be avoided. If porous or sandy lands can 



