1886 



GLEAXINGS IN BEE ('ULTURE. 



335 



is it any wonder it was an unhealthy place? For 

 a few years, such carelessness might answer; but as 

 soon as the earth became saturated with filth, so it 

 could hold no more, it must flow directly into the 

 well. 1 say, for a few j-ears it might answer. It 

 might as far as the well water was concerned, l)ut 

 not if we had any regard for the purity of the air 

 that wo must breathe. Both pure air and pure 

 water are necessary for the most perfect health. 



Now, I have been particular in describing all this, 

 because, with more or less variation, such con- 

 ditions are to be found in very many farmyards. 

 So bad are they in some instances, that it is but 

 little better than suicide to allow them to remain. 



I was simi)ly exasperated the other Sunday when 

 the minister told us we must welcome afflictions; for, 

 "whom the Lord loveth he chastencth." We have 

 had too much of that sort of preaching. Why not 

 urge us to do every thing in our power to ward ott' 

 sickness and trouble; but when, in spite of our ut- 

 most efforts, they do come, then calmly say, ",Thy 

 will be done"? All the prayer in the world could 

 never induce God to save a man's life if he has 

 drank too much fllthy water, or breathed^too impure 

 air. " Providence helps those who help themselves." 

 "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon," you know. 

 The Loi-d will never clean out our fllthy privies for 

 us. After we have done our best, then there is 

 some sense in asking for help, or even for help to 

 do our best, but not in neglecting what we know 

 ought to be done, then praying for every thing we 

 want. I am not a preacher, Bro. Root— only a farm- 

 er; but sometimes I think a minister would know 

 better how to preach to him if he would go and live 

 with a farmer a year or two. 



Well, we tore off that old wing, and let in the sun 

 and air, and vised no water from that well for years, 

 but went 50 rods to a spring for all we wanted. 

 Since then we have taken out the well, dug it deep- 

 er, and put in sewer-pipe instead of stones, and the 

 water, I know, is pure and nice. The privy is over 

 on the other side of the yard; but that was not 

 necessarj', for a coal-oil barrel, sawed in two, is 

 used instead of a vault; and with plenty of dry 

 muck or coal ashes we have no trouble in turning 

 the fllthy matter into beautiful flowers. I am, how- 

 ever, intending to change, soon, and build a privy 

 at one end of the kitchen porch, and use large gal- 

 vanized iron pails. This is for convenience of emp- 

 tying, and for the comfort of the ladies in bad 

 weather. But now for what 1 am particularly after 

 in this letter— that is, 



THE DISPOSAL OF THE SLOPS. 



No wise man, nowadays, Avill pour them out 

 around the door. They must be carried away, then, 

 either by a drain or otherwise. A good under- 

 ground drain is handy, but I am afraid to use one. 

 Sewer gas is dangerous stuff, particularly where 

 there are children. I know there are traps to keep 

 it from coming out, but still it is risky. A friend 

 of mine knew there was a leak or defect in his iiipes, 

 but it was neglected until his youngest child died 

 of diphtheria. Gasoline-stoves are safe, perhaps, if 

 properly used; but a few days since, a lady near 

 here thoxmht she turned the Are all out; then she 

 filled the stove. She is buried now, and her hus- 

 band would give all he is worth if he had never 

 brought that stove into the house. No, we don't 

 want to play with danger where the lives of our 

 families are at stake. There is no drain, nor are any 

 slops emptied inside of my dooryard fence— at least 



not more than once in a place, which can do no 

 harm. For years I carried the water all away in 

 jtails; but last winter I found in Illinois a slop-bar- 

 rel, on wheels, that is just the thing exactly. It 

 stands by the kitchen porch, and will hold all the 

 day's slops, even on Monday. A boy can draw it 

 away and empty it. Disinfectants can be used oc- 

 casionally, if desired, but will hardly be necessary, 

 as it gets pretty well cleaned out on washing-day. 

 And then there isn't the danger, when it stands out 

 in the sun and air, that there is from an under- 

 ground drain. In the coldest weather we may have 

 to use the pails again. 



My wife has said more pleasant things about that 

 slop-barrel than she ever did about her oil-stove 

 that cost five times as much, or about her silver tea- 

 set that I got her last winter. I have seen several 

 slop-barrels, but none before equal to this. It is 

 neat, cheap, and easily managed. They retail for 

 $8.00, but I shall be pleased to order one for any of 

 the friends who will send me $")..50, unless you, 

 friend Root, will get a lot. The makers wrote me I 

 might get some made here, and thus save freight 

 for neighbors, and I should be pleased to turn this 

 offer over to you. If you have any doubts about 

 their being a splendid thing, write to my wife. I 

 don't have a chance, any more, to look a little sour, 

 when, coming in in a great hurry, my wife meekly 

 says, "Can't you empty those slop-pails now ?" 



Hudson, O. T. B. Terry. 



Many thanks, friend Terry. INIost surely 

 is it true that we can not afford to take any 

 risks; and since we liave, by tlie aid of en- 

 lightened science, discovered that such dis- 

 eases as typhoid fever and diphtheria are 

 largely fed by foul matter in the air we 

 breathe and the water we drink, how great 

 is the importance of being careful ! What 

 must have been the feelings of that father 

 when he found that there was even a chance 

 that his child might have met death by the 

 horrible disease diphtheria through neglect 

 and procrastination on his part! Now, 

 friend T., I want you to tell me what you 

 think of my arrangeinent £or disposing of 

 the sewage. The one bek)nging to our house 

 has just been linished, and 1 did it in this 

 way: The ground descends on a gradual 

 slope from our back door for some distance. 

 The slope is sufficient so the slop on wash- 

 ing-days passes off freely into the garden ; 

 but in the winter time it has been in the 

 habit of accumulating so that the opening 

 frequently needed caring for. Well, a few 

 weeks ago I liad the boys dig a trench down 

 the slope close by a row of apple-trees. 

 Along the row of apple-trees was a row of 

 well-rooted rhubarb pie-plants. The trench 

 is about three feet deep and two feet wide. 

 This was filled with stones picked up from 

 the groiuul, according to the plan of the 

 new agriculture, within IS in. of the surface. 

 As the drain is perliaps 10 or 15 n)ds long, 

 the vegetation growing above it, and sending 

 its roots down among the cobble-stones, 

 will, it is presumed, take up and utilize the 

 soapsuds, etc., about as fast as it is made. 

 In case it fails to do so, tiie trench commu- 

 nicates at several points with our system of 

 underdrains, although it is so arranged as to 

 hold a foot or more of water before it Hows 

 over into the underdrains. The open eiul of 

 the sewer-pipe comniujiicating with this 



