1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



499 



overflow or waste pipes should be of durable 

 material, and be permanently put in. Of 

 course these should be near the top of a cis- 

 tern, and if possible, well underground, or 

 at least laid with a good fall for the water, 

 otherwise in winter the water from melting 

 snow that runs slowly, will freeze and stop, if 

 it does not burst the pipes. Three-inch 

 glazed earthen pipes are used somewhat in 

 this vicinity, and answer well, if protected 

 from frost. Tin, zinc, and galvanized iron 

 are also used. Cast iron, though costing 

 most, is best of all. If a cistern is filled in 

 December, the inlet pipe may be shut off dur- 

 ing the three winter months, and all liability 

 to freezing of pipes prevented. 



No cistern is complete without a filter, for 

 it is not sufficient that there be always an 

 abundance of soft water, it should also oe pure 

 and sweet. The roofs of buildings have more 

 or less dust and smoke upon them, and if pi- 

 geons are kept, filth accumulates rapidly. 

 Among us the most approved method of puri- 

 f) ing the water is by filtering or straining it 

 through brick, thus : let 

 the circle, a, represent 

 the inside of a cistern. 

 A small compartment 

 is partitioned upon one 

 side, by laying, in ce- 

 ment, a single course 

 of bricks, as repre- 

 sented by curve line, 6. 

 The bricks are laid 

 upon the narrow side or edge, and the cement- 

 ing must be carefully and neatly done, that 

 the joints may be perfectly tight, and no ce- 

 ment put upon the wide side of the brick. 

 The quality should be soft brick, such as are 

 of deep red color, or what are sometimes 

 called light hard. Those too hard are too 

 dense for water to pass through freely, while 

 the softest crumble after a few years. The 

 wall of the compartment should be built up 

 close to the top of the cistern, making an air- 

 tight chamber. No dust nor insects can now 

 get into it. A space equal to one or two bar- 

 rels is sufficient, and about one hundred bricks 

 will be required. Water passes through this 

 amount of surface as fast as wanted tor any 

 ordinary use. This method of filtrating gives 

 universal satisfaction, and for simplicity, cheap- 

 ness, and efficiency, has not been surpassed. 

 It is fast superceding the old and more com- 

 plicated apparatus made of sand, charcoal, 

 granite chips, sponges, &c. 



It is assumed that no one building a cistern 

 would fail to conduct the water to the sink, 

 by a pipe, and have a good pump. In this 

 cold climate the laying of this pipe requires 

 particular attention. It should be well below 

 the frost and without a sag, so that when the 

 water is let down it will run entirely out, and 

 not collect at any point and freeze. If that 

 portion of pipe in the cellar is liable to freeze, 

 it can be wound with woollen, or if it is a 



straight piece it can be enclosed in a box and 

 packed in saw dust. Of the many varieties 

 of pumps offered to the public, a common, me- 

 dium sized copper one is best. 



An important adjunct of a cistern, is the 

 means of having a suitable portion of the wa- 

 ter constantly hot. In the farmer's kitchen a 

 large quantity of hot water is daily used. The 

 larger sized cook stoves are now provided 

 with tanks to supply this want. If there is no 

 tank, a smaller copper boiler can be procured 

 at small expense. No extra fuel is required 

 to heat it — the surplus or waste heat of a stove 

 is utilized. 



Another adjunct is a bath room. This has 

 not been considered an essential part of a 

 farm house. It is looked upon as a luxury 

 beyond the reach of plain farmers. Now no 

 class of society actually need to be in the ha- 

 bitual use of bathing more than farmers and 

 out-door laborers who perspire freely and 

 whose occupation keeps them so many hours 

 in dust and dirt. The pure air and sunshine 

 which they enjoy is not enough ; the free and 

 judicious use of water also promotes health 

 and longevity. The time is coming when 

 higher ideas of cleanliness, comfort and health 

 will prevail, and bathing rooms will be as 

 common in our ordinary houses, as they now 

 are in the costly city homes. 



In planning for a bath-room, facilities for 

 heating the water to be used, must be consid- 

 ered. It is a mistake to suppose a house must 

 be warmed with steam or a furnace to have a 

 bath-room. Select a medium size room in 

 which a stove can be used. It may be upon 

 the first or second floor. A good position is 

 frequently directly over the kitchen, as there 

 piping will be saved, and the heat from the 

 cook stove may be used. Put in the bath-tub 

 with a waste pipe leading to the drain, and 

 another pipe from the cistein. and attach a 

 pump. A cheap stove and boiler will at the 

 same time heat water and the room. With a 

 short piece of gutta percha pipe attached to 

 the pump, water can be sent directly to the 

 boiler or bath-tub. The fuel requisite to heat 

 up once or twice a weak can scarcely be esti- 

 mated on a farm. Or the room can be heated 

 from the kitchen below, by a register, or by 

 passing the funnel through the floor and into 

 the chimney in the bath-room, while the water is 

 heated below and brought up. A little inge- 

 nuity will make every thmg convenient and ser- 

 viceable, and give the whole a neat appear- 

 ance, and it will be as useful as if it were 

 finished in costly wood and marble. 



The entire expense of a cistern, filter, pipes, 

 pump, tank or boiler, and furnishing a bath- 

 room plainly, need not exceed one hundred 

 dollars, and if part of the work can be done 

 by any member of the family, it will be con- 

 siderably less. What like investment will pay 

 better ? Surely no share in bank, railroad or 

 city and State bonds. A short trial will re- 

 veal its intrinsic worth, and prove that an 



