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  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  April, 
  1907 
  

  

  what 
  I 
  heard 
  was 
  a 
  shout 
  of 
  derisive 
  laughter 
  at 
  the 
  ease 
  with 
  

   which 
  the 
  feat 
  was 
  accomplished. 
  The 
  flicker 
  seems 
  to 
  he 
  

   something 
  of 
  a 
  practical 
  joker 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  a 
  natural 
  explorer. 
  

   He 
  sips 
  water 
  from 
  the 
  pan, 
  looks 
  into 
  the 
  bluebird's 
  nest, 
  

   samples 
  the 
  food 
  at 
  the 
  dish, 
  and 
  then 
  may 
  not 
  enter 
  the 
  yard 
  

   again 
  for 
  a 
  month. 
  The 
  only 
  thing 
  that 
  brings 
  him 
  seems 
  to 
  

   be 
  curiosity. 
  I 
  frequently 
  see 
  him, 
  together 
  with 
  his 
  mate, 
  at 
  

  

  The 
  Downy 
  Woodpecker 
  Is 
  with 
  Us 
  Summer 
  and 
  Winter 
  

  

  an 
  ant 
  hill 
  in 
  my 
  neighbor's 
  yard. 
  Sometimes 
  they 
  are 
  joined 
  

   by 
  a 
  third, 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  feast 
  of 
  ants 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  one 
  of 
  great 
  

   ceremony. 
  If 
  abundance 
  of 
  bowing 
  is 
  any 
  criterion, 
  the 
  

   flickers 
  are 
  politest 
  of 
  birds. 
  

  

  I 
  said 
  that 
  Downy 
  was 
  excavating 
  a 
  nesting 
  hole 
  in 
  the 
  half- 
  

   dead 
  tree 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  my 
  yard. 
  I 
  hope 
  the 
  prophecy 
  may 
  

   prove 
  true. 
  He 
  has 
  been 
  pecking 
  away 
  there 
  for 
  several 
  days, 
  

   and 
  he 
  works 
  like 
  one 
  who 
  is 
  facing 
  the 
  stern 
  realities 
  of 
  

   household 
  cares 
  — 
  solemn 
  like. 
  His 
  bigger 
  cousin 
  — 
  the 
  hairy 
  

   woodpecker 
  — 
  fed 
  ravenously 
  at 
  my 
  table 
  all 
  winter, 
  but 
  when 
  

   the 
  first 
  warm 
  breath 
  of 
  spring 
  came 
  he 
  was 
  gone, 
  and 
  has 
  

   not 
  returned. 
  His 
  nest 
  he 
  will 
  conceal 
  from 
  me 
  in 
  some 
  lonely 
  

   corner 
  of 
  the 
  woods, 
  and 
  he 
  will 
  doubtless 
  return 
  for 
  food 
  

   next 
  winter 
  without 
  bringing 
  his 
  young 
  with 
  him. 
  

  

  The 
  white-breasted 
  nuthatch 
  leaves 
  my 
  table 
  even 
  earlier 
  

  

  than 
  Hairy, 
  and 
  conceals 
  his 
  nesting 
  place 
  so 
  well 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  

   perhaps 
  less 
  known 
  that 
  any 
  other 
  of 
  our 
  woodland 
  birds. 
  

  

  For 
  the 
  brown 
  creeper 
  there 
  is 
  some 
  excuse 
  for 
  an 
  early 
  

   departure 
  from 
  my 
  hospitality: 
  Besides 
  being 
  by 
  natural 
  dis- 
  

   position 
  something 
  of 
  a 
  recluse, 
  his 
  summer 
  home 
  is 
  far 
  to 
  the 
  

   north 
  and 
  he 
  must 
  leave, 
  in 
  ample 
  time. 
  Yet, 
  only 
  the 
  other 
  

   day 
  I 
  saw 
  the 
  juncos 
  feeding 
  with 
  the 
  English 
  sparrows 
  near 
  

   the 
  woodpile, 
  and 
  these 
  birds 
  go 
  north 
  to 
  nest. 
  Each 
  bird, 
  

   however, 
  goes 
  after 
  its 
  own 
  method; 
  the 
  creeper 
  proceeds 
  

   alone, 
  and 
  doubtless 
  migrates 
  slowly; 
  while 
  the 
  juncos 
  go 
  in 
  

   flocks, 
  and 
  doubtless 
  by 
  long 
  night 
  flights. 
  

  

  The 
  bluejay 
  I 
  have 
  with 
  me 
  always. 
  There 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  month 
  

   in 
  the 
  year 
  that 
  he 
  does 
  not 
  enter 
  the 
  yard. 
  He 
  gobbles 
  up 
  

   my 
  suet 
  and 
  nuts 
  in 
  winter; 
  feeds 
  from 
  the 
  scrap 
  pail 
  and 
  

   drinks 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  pan 
  in 
  summer; 
  tries 
  to 
  steal 
  the 
  eggs 
  

   from 
  the 
  robin's 
  nest 
  in 
  the 
  silver 
  maple; 
  and 
  takes 
  his 
  whole 
  

   brood 
  trooping 
  across 
  the 
  premises 
  in 
  early 
  autumn. 
  If 
  his 
  

   mate 
  can 
  not 
  find 
  a 
  better 
  place 
  she 
  builds 
  her 
  nest 
  in 
  the 
  

   tree 
  that 
  overhangs 
  my 
  walk, 
  and 
  expects 
  me 
  to 
  guard 
  her 
  

   young 
  from 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  cats 
  when, 
  with 
  short 
  tails 
  and 
  

   inadequate 
  wings, 
  they 
  come 
  bumping 
  upon 
  the 
  lawn 
  from 
  the 
  

   nest. 
  

  

  For 
  real 
  companionship 
  the 
  black-capped 
  chickadees 
  are 
  my 
  

   favorites. 
  They 
  seem 
  to 
  appreciate 
  every 
  billful 
  that 
  you 
  

   provide 
  for 
  them; 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  scamper 
  off 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  spring 
  

   arrives, 
  but 
  return 
  occasionally, 
  not 
  for 
  food, 
  but 
  out 
  of 
  sheer 
  

   friendliness. 
  They 
  do 
  not 
  leave 
  one 
  until 
  household 
  duties 
  

   actually 
  compel 
  them 
  to 
  woods 
  or 
  orchards. 
  In 
  the 
  autumn 
  

   they 
  bring 
  their 
  young 
  to 
  show 
  how 
  kindly 
  the 
  season 
  has 
  

   dealt 
  with 
  them; 
  and 
  the 
  more 
  they 
  bring 
  the 
  more 
  you 
  are 
  

   pleased. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  house 
  wren 
  arrives, 
  business 
  in 
  the 
  bird 
  world 
  

   seems 
  to 
  begin 
  in 
  earnest. 
  Of 
  course, 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  going 
  on 
  all 
  

   the 
  time, 
  but 
  hardly 
  with 
  the 
  proper 
  eclat. 
  Upon 
  the 
  wren's 
  

   arrival, 
  steam 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  turned 
  on 
  ; 
  the 
  buzz 
  of 
  wheels 
  seems 
  

   to 
  be 
  heard; 
  things 
  move. 
  Without 
  my 
  pair 
  of 
  wrens, 
  I 
  

   should 
  certainly 
  think 
  that 
  summer 
  affairs 
  in 
  my 
  back 
  yard 
  

   lacked 
  superintendence 
  and 
  push. 
  I 
  seem 
  to 
  feel 
  relieved 
  

   when 
  they 
  come; 
  and 
  when 
  they 
  depart, 
  an 
  added 
  responsi- 
  

   bility 
  seems 
  to 
  rest 
  upon 
  my 
  shoulders. 
  

  

  Sewage 
  Disposal 
  for 
  the 
  House 
  

  

  By 
  Ralph 
  Ernest 
  Blake 
  

  

  HE 
  sanitation 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  is 
  not 
  complete 
  

   without 
  a 
  proper 
  and 
  efficient 
  sewage 
  dis- 
  

   posal. 
  In 
  cities 
  and 
  towns 
  where 
  there 
  are 
  

   public 
  sewers 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  problem 
  that 
  offers 
  no 
  

   difficulties 
  to 
  the 
  house 
  owner, 
  as 
  the 
  single 
  

   requirement 
  is 
  safe 
  and 
  proper 
  connection 
  

   with 
  the 
  sewer. 
  In 
  country 
  districts 
  the 
  

   sewage 
  question 
  has 
  a 
  personal 
  application 
  and 
  interest 
  that 
  

   makes 
  it 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  matters 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  

   house. 
  

  

  Sewage 
  disposal 
  presents 
  two 
  problems; 
  first, 
  immediate 
  

   disposal, 
  and, 
  second, 
  ultimate 
  disposal. 
  Immediate 
  disposal 
  

   is 
  accomplished 
  in 
  two 
  ways, 
  by 
  the 
  dry 
  method, 
  which 
  is 
  

   without 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  water; 
  and 
  by 
  water 
  carriage. 
  The 
  dry 
  

   method 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  primitive 
  of 
  all 
  forms 
  of 
  sewage 
  disposal 
  

   and 
  has 
  little 
  sanitary 
  value. 
  It 
  entails 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  cesspools 
  

   and 
  vaults, 
  of 
  the 
  pail 
  system 
  and 
  the 
  physico-chemical 
  sys- 
  

   tem. 
  Within 
  most 
  municipal 
  limits 
  the 
  cesspool 
  is 
  required 
  to 
  

   be 
  water 
  tight 
  and 
  must 
  be 
  frequently 
  emptied. 
  Outside 
  city 
  

   limits 
  porous 
  cesspools 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  if 
  the 
  soil 
  is 
  porous 
  and 
  it 
  

   can 
  be 
  arranged 
  some 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  house 
  and 
  wells; 
  in 
  

   such 
  cases 
  the 
  waste 
  water 
  escapes 
  to 
  the 
  soil 
  and 
  the 
  cesspool 
  

   may 
  be 
  used 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  before 
  being 
  emptied 
  and 
  cleaned. 
  

   The 
  pail 
  system 
  calls 
  for 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  gas 
  tight 
  

  

  Concluded 
  

  

  stone 
  or 
  metal 
  pails, 
  which 
  are 
  hermetically 
  sealed 
  and 
  emp- 
  

   tied. 
  In 
  the 
  physico-chemical 
  system 
  various 
  substances, 
  as 
  

   ashes, 
  dry 
  earth, 
  charcoal, 
  carbolated 
  sand, 
  etc., 
  are 
  used 
  as 
  

   deodorizers 
  and 
  disinfectors. 
  

  

  The 
  water 
  carriage 
  system 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  modern 
  and 
  the 
  most 
  

   used 
  system 
  of 
  sewage 
  disposal. 
  It 
  involves 
  the 
  construction 
  

   of 
  a 
  pipe 
  system 
  from 
  the 
  house, 
  and 
  passing 
  through 
  the 
  

   streets 
  to 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  final 
  disposal. 
  Two 
  systems 
  are 
  in 
  

   general 
  use, 
  the 
  combined, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  household 
  wastes 
  and 
  

   the 
  waste 
  rain 
  and 
  other 
  uncontaminated 
  waters 
  are 
  car- 
  

   ried 
  off 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  system 
  of 
  pipes 
  and 
  sewers; 
  and 
  the 
  two 
  

   pipe 
  system, 
  in 
  which 
  separate 
  pipes 
  and 
  sewers 
  are 
  provided 
  

   for 
  the 
  two 
  classes 
  of 
  waste. 
  The 
  pipe 
  that 
  conducts 
  the 
  

   waste 
  from 
  the 
  house 
  to 
  the 
  sewer 
  is 
  called 
  the 
  house 
  sewer, 
  

   and 
  the 
  pipes 
  in 
  the 
  street 
  the 
  street 
  sewer. 
  The 
  combined 
  

   system 
  is 
  the 
  one 
  most 
  used 
  in 
  cities. 
  

  

  Various 
  methods 
  for 
  the 
  final 
  disposal 
  of 
  sewage 
  are 
  in 
  use, 
  

   some 
  of 
  distinct 
  hygienic 
  value 
  and 
  some 
  positively 
  unsanitary 
  

   and 
  wasteful. 
  The 
  easiest 
  method 
  is 
  to 
  empty 
  the 
  sewage 
  

   into 
  the 
  sea 
  or 
  running 
  water. 
  The 
  unsanitary 
  value 
  of 
  this 
  

   method 
  near 
  large 
  towns 
  and 
  on 
  potable 
  waters 
  is 
  so 
  obvious 
  

   as 
  to 
  call 
  for 
  no 
  comment. 
  Tides 
  cause 
  frequent 
  backflow 
  

   and 
  overflow 
  when 
  the 
  sewage 
  is 
  discharged 
  directly 
  into 
  the 
  

   sea. 
  This 
  may 
  be 
  remedied 
  by 
  providing 
  tidal 
  flap 
  valves, 
  

   on 
  page 
  135 
  

  

  