SANITATION 385 



indirectly to residents of the locality. The protection of the 

 water supply is discussed in chapter xvii in direct connection 

 with the location and construction of wells; in this chapter 

 the second phase of the problem only will be considered. 



Drainage. One of the first requirements of the farmstead 

 is the thorough underdrainage of the land to be used for 

 yards, gardens, and building purposes. These drains should 

 be laid from 3 to 5 feet deep. They should extend around 

 the foundation of the house, at least a foot below the bottom 

 of the cellar, one line beginning near the well. Low 

 places where water is likely to stand after a rain should be 

 either filled or underlaid with a drain. It is also desirable, 

 whenever practicable, to connect all downspouts from roofs 

 directly with the underdrains. If this is done, breeding 

 places for water insects are destroyed, water is kept out of 

 the cellar, unpleasant odors are prevented, and the general 

 sanitary conditions of the premises are aided if the ground 

 is kept dry. 



In draining the farmstead, it should be remembered that 

 where the surface is ; thoroughly tramped by stock it becomes 

 impervious to water, and there is no downward flow of sur- 

 face water. Consequently direct inlets should be made into 

 the tile in the vicinity of wells and other places that are 

 exposed to severe tramping. In ordinary soils water readily 

 finds its way to underdrains from lawns and cultivated lands. 



Incinerators. If neglected, much material that is not 

 only valueless, but unsightly and unhealthful, will collect 

 about a farm. One of the best means of disposing of 

 such material is by fire, and a safe place for burning worth- 

 less accumulations should be located near the buildings. 



A small incinerator for this purpose can be cheaply built of 

 hard brick (Fig. 302), concrete, or, what is just as good, an 

 8-foot length of an old smoke stack, not less than 2 feet in 

 diameter. At the bottom of this incinerator there should 

 be a sufficient opening left for draft. The refuse is thrown 

 in at the top, and when the receptacle is full, or begins to 



