306 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



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it to be stronger, less liable to cave in or crack, the surplus water. If a cistern is made out of 

 and more easily cleansed than a flat bottom. The [doors, it must be below the reach of frost. Lead 



bottom was covered with hydraulic cement and 

 the bricks laid flat upon it, and continued so 

 throughout. Between the bricks and earth of the 

 sides, a space of an inch was puddled with six parts 

 sand to one of cement. For this purpose, clay, 

 pounded carefully in, would probably be better. 

 It was arched, leaving an apertui^ of the size of a 

 flour barrel; the top, which was a foot below the 

 surface of the ground, and the inside, covered with 

 two or three coats of cement. The walls may be 

 made of wood, stone, or brick, and a great many 

 are made without either. But the safest and cheap- 

 est way, if a permanent cistern is desired, is to 

 use stone or brick. Where the water is want- 

 ed for cooking, "the cistern should be permanent- 

 ly divided, as represented in fig. 1, into two apart- 

 ments, one to receive the water, and another for a 

 reservoir to contain such as is ready for use. Al- 

 ternate layers of gravel, sand, and charcoal, at the 

 bottom of , the first, and sand and gravel in the 

 last, are sufficient ; the water being allowed to pass 

 through the several layers mentioned, will be ren- 

 dered perfectly free from all impurities." 



In the last year's volume of the Monthly Far- 

 mer, Mr. David Blaisdell, of Amestury, was kind 

 enough to send us a table giving the contents of 

 cisterns of different sizes, which we copy in con- 

 nection with the engravings given above. 



A cistern 3J feei diameter will hold for every 10 inches in 

 depth 59 gallons. 



4 feet diameter 78 " 



4i " 99 " 



5 " 122 " 



5J " 148 " 



6 " 176 " 



You will find by this table that a cistern 6 feet 

 deep and 6 in diameter will hold 1260 gallons, and 

 each foot you add in depth will hold 210 gallons. 

 Therefore, one 10 feet deep and 6 in diameter will 

 contain 2100 gallons. 



I have one in my house cellar, entirely below 

 the bottom of the cellar, 6i feet deep and 5.^ in di- 

 ameter, holding about 1000 gallons. It was dug 

 6 feet 8 inches deep and 7 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 space all round between 

 the brick and earth about 5 inches. After raising 

 the work about 18 inches, he carefully filled the 

 space between the brick and side of the hole with 

 earth, well and carefully pressed down. If you 

 wet the earth or clay as you fill it in, it will be 

 more compact. 



When you get within about two feet of the top, 

 commence gradually to draw in the work towards 

 the centre, leaving, when finished, a space open 

 about two feet across. The next thing is to plas- 

 ter the inside with cement ; also, the top on the 

 outside, commencing where you began to draw in. 

 About two course of brick are laid round the mouth 

 of the cistern, forming a neck which adds to the 

 strength of the top. Now cover the whole with 

 earth except the neck. The Avator is conducted to 

 my cistern through a small brick drain laid in ce- 

 ment. I also have a drain near the top, to let off 



pipe would probably be cheaper than brick, to con- 

 duct water to and from the cistern. 



I have no doubt but that a cistern made this 

 way of hard brick would last a century. Mine, 

 holding 1000 gallons, cost $18,00. The larger the 

 size, the less the cost in proportion to the eapaci-* 

 ty. If the earth is firm and hard, you may lay 

 the brick close against it, thus saving the trouble 

 of filling in and digging so large. I have known 

 them made by cementing directly on the earth, 

 using no brick, and covering the top with timbers 

 or plank. One made with brick will cost more, 

 but I think it best and cheapest, taking into con- 

 sideration safety and durability. 



We give the process below by which any one by 

 figuring a little, may ascertain for himself the con- 

 tents of any cistern : 



To find the contents of any cistern in wine gal- 

 lons, the diameter and depth being known : — 



1. Multiply one-half the diameter by itself. 



2. Multiply the above product by 3 1-7 ; whicb 

 will give the area of the bottom of the cistern, 

 nearly. 



3. Multiply this by the number of feet in depths 

 this will give the cubic contents in feet. 



4. Multiply the last product by 1728, (the num- 

 ber of cubic inches in a foot) which gives the num- 

 ber of cubic inches. 



5. Divide the whole result by 231 (the number 

 of cubic inches in the wine gallon) and the i-esult 

 will be the number of gallons in the cistern. 



Tor the New England Farmer. 

 APPLE TREES. 



Mr. Editor : — Your correspondent M., hailing 

 from Topsfield, can find a satisfactory answer to all 

 his inquiries, about the produce of Baldwin apples, 

 to wit, an average of more than five barrels to a 

 tree, on 40 trees, in each of the years, 1850 and 

 1852, by calling on Mr. Francis Dodge, on the 

 summit of Ingersol's Hill, in Danvers. I know 

 the facts as stated, because I saw the fruit, each 

 year, when at maturity. All these trees were set 

 on the borders of the field, about 12 feet distant 

 from a high stone wall ; and the ground about 

 them was dressed with manure, and kept in a pul- 

 verized condition on the surface. 



It is now about 25 years since the trees were 

 set by John Andrews, Esq., of Salem. p. 



May 14, 1853. 



For the New Ensland Farmer. 

 ALMOST A ROOK'S EGG. 



Mr. Editor : — As I am a constant reader of 

 your valuable paper, I have noticed that you are 

 very accommodating in publishing articles that 

 some might refuse, especially concerning fowls and 

 their eggs — and it being rather natural for us to 

 like to have as smart fowls as others, I send you 

 the measure of an egg, laid a few days since by 

 our Shanghai, a last fall chicken, which was eight 

 inches round it the hmgest way ; it seems rather 

 a large story but is nevertheless true. 



Lincoln, 'Vt., May 20, 1853. a. s. k. 



