276 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



find the cause of it and have it remedied. The plumbing of 

 every new house should be planned and constructed with 

 the greatest care ; there should be as little piping as possible ; 

 it should all be on one line, laid with a good and regular 

 pitch, exposed to view as much as possible, and where 

 boxed in, it should be done with screws so that the pipe 

 can at any time be examined. The soil pipe should extend 

 through the roof and should be of suflBcient size to prevent 

 clogging by snow or ice, all connections should be trapped 

 and in such a way as to ensure the prevention of the escape 

 of sewer gas. Every water-closet should have a good flush 

 so arranged that the water will reach every part of the bowl 

 liable to be .soiled. Such a system of drainage is not ex- 

 pensive out of proportion to the cost of other parts of the 

 house, neither does it require the highest kind of mechanical 

 ingenuity and training to construct it, and any plumber of 

 fair experience with an average amount of skill ought to be 

 able to plan and construct a house drain that will in every 

 way comply with the demands of sanitary science. I do 

 not mean by this statement to underrate in the least the great 

 good that has resulted from the application of the highest 

 skill and ability to some of the sanitary problems that have 

 presented themselves in the past in relation to house drain- 

 age, nor do I desire in any way to detract from the well- 

 earned reputation of some of our sanitary plumbers. I only 

 wish to protest against the idea that now these problems are 

 solved, that it still requires the same great ability to do good 

 sanitary plumbing. I refer more particularly to houses of 

 moderate cost, of from two thousand to six or seven thousand 

 dollars. Houses of higher cost are usually planned by pro- 

 fessional architects who provide for the drainage. 



For the protection of our public water supplies we must 

 rely upon the State and municipal authorities ; still, every 

 householder living near a stream or pond used for such a 

 purpose should, as a public duty, see that such water is not 

 in any way, even to the smallest degree, polluted by any 

 act of his either by carelessness or otherwise. We have 

 seen what terrible results have followed the pollution and 

 infection of public water supplies by excreta from persons 

 suffering from typhoid fever, and every precaution should 



