No. 5. 



Cisterns for Farm Buildings. — Cranberries. 



155 



Cisterns for Farm Buildings. 



Pure, wholesome water, as a constant be- 

 verage for man or animals, is essential to 

 sound health. Its relative salubrity depends 

 on the various animal, vegetable, or mineral 

 particles, with which it may be impregnated, 

 and the places whence it is procured. The 

 transparency or purity of that obtained from 

 wells or springs, varies according to the strata 

 of earth through which it percolates. The 

 most wholesome fluid is derived from springs 

 issuing from pure sand-stone or primitive 

 rocks, or from sandy soils, principally com- 

 posed of granite or quartz, where it has un- 

 dergone a perfect filtration. The water of 

 lakes and ponds has similar properties in 

 general, as that of rivers or brooks, but being 

 less agitated, and containing more organic 

 matter in a state of decomposition, it acquires 

 a greater degree of impurity, and conse- 

 quently is less fit for culinary use ; though, 

 on account of its softness, it may be em- 

 ployed with advantage for washing clothes. 



Rain water collected in the vicinity of 

 cities or populous towns, as well as in the 

 neighborhood of marshes or mines, especially 

 during summer, is always more or less im- 

 pure. Therefore it should not be used, if it 

 can be avoided, except for washing linen, 

 &c., or watering plants, unless it be purified 

 by filtration or other means. The fluid ob- 

 tained by dissolving snow is somewhat purer ; 

 but of all natural waters, that obtained by 

 melting hail is the most pure, as it contains 

 fewer extraneous particles, in consequence 

 of its congealing high in the air; so that it 

 cannot combine with noxious ingredients du- 

 ring its descent. Like all water, however, 

 which falls from the clouds, it contains mi- 

 nute quantities of air, carbonic and nitric 

 acids, carbonate of ammonia, and other salts. 



Well, or pump water, is generally less 

 pure than any of the preceding, as it fre- 

 quently contains large quantities of carbonate 

 or sulphate of lime, which are the cause of 

 its "hardness," and the property of curdling 

 soap. In all large towns, that have long 

 been inhabited, the wells are generally ren- 

 dered unfit for use, in consequence of the 

 ground having been tainted by church-yards, 

 vaults, and other nuisances, vvhich, doubtless, 

 is the cause of much suffering, and even of 

 the shortening of life itself. Therefore, in 

 all regions where lime-stone or other impu- 

 rities in the soil abound, or where the far- 

 mers unavoidably have to sink their wells 

 to a great depth, we would recommend the 

 construction of cisterns hear all of the prin- 

 cipal farm buildings for retaining the water 

 which may fall from their roofs. By this 

 means a large supply of wholesome water 



may be had all the year round, at a compa- 

 ratively small cost, which will not only be 

 essential in all purposes about the house, but 

 will be found useful in irrigating the garden, 

 as well as for the watering of stock. 



The most convenient and durable mode of 

 constructing a cistern, is, to make it of a 

 circular form, under ground, with the bottom 

 and sides lined with stone or bricks laid in 

 hydraulic cement; and in many cases mor- 

 tar may be plastered directly on the sides of 

 the pit without the aid of bricks or stone. A 

 cistern, eight feet in diameter and nine feet 

 deep, will hold about one hundred barrels, 

 and will require three thousand four hundred 

 bricks to face its sides. The cement to be 

 employed should be of first-rate quality, such 

 as that used in the construction of the Croton 

 acqueduct, or the Erie canal. If this cannot 

 conveniently be obtained, a very good article 

 may be made of four parts brick dust, finely 

 screened ; eight parts fine, sharp, fresh water 

 sand; twelve parts lime completely slacked 

 by burying in the ground, so as to exclude 

 the air during the process of slacking; three 

 parts powdered quick-lime, newly burnt; and 

 three parts powdered charcoal. First, mix 

 the slacked lime, brick-dust, charcoal, and 

 sand with water sufficient to make a mortar 

 thinner than usual, then sprinkle in the quick- 

 lime. Mix well with a trowel, and use im- 

 mediately, as it will soon grow stiff* and hard. 



Cisterns should be completely covered 

 with planks or stone, so as to exclude all 

 insects, leaves, and dust. If the buildings 

 be situated on a hillside, it would be prefera- 

 ble to conduct the w^ter to the place where 

 wanted for use by means of a pipe, without 

 the labor of pumping, or lifting it out by 

 hand. — American Agriculturist. 



The preceding remarks may be profited by in many 

 places— but in many others where a stream of water 

 and a fall of a few feet are at command, one of Bir- 

 kenbine's Hydraulic Rams is far preferable to a cistern 

 on various accounts.— Ed. 



Cranberries. 



The cultivation of this pleasant sub-acid 

 fruit is now, we perceive, becoming quite 

 common. In their management various me- 

 thods are adopted — some planting^ them in 

 bogs and swales, and others, with equal suc- 

 cess, cultivating them on sandy soils, and 

 indeed in almost every variety of situations 

 which, can be conceived, or in which the 

 plants can be induced to take root. It is 

 stated in one of our agricultural exchanges, 

 that a Mr. S. Baies, ot Billingham, Norfolk 

 Co., Mass., cultivates this crop with surpris- 

 ing success. Mr. B. says that " low meadow 

 land is the best for them, prepared in the first 



