352 



Water Supply for Villages. . [august, 



168 persons scattered over 1,877 acres of land, which accounts 

 for the large cost per head, but it has been possible to carry 

 out the scheme without creating an undue burden, owing to 

 the existence of eight dairy farms of fair size, all of which were 

 in need of water for dairy purposes. From these farms 

 practically all the revenue is derived. Had it happened that 

 the cottages (about twenty in number) had been outside the 

 parish the scheme would still have been equally feasible, 

 although the cost per head would have been nearly three times 

 as heavy. On the other hand, had there been 100 cottages the 

 cost per head would probably not have exceeded £3, and still 

 the amount of revenue to be derived from these cottages would 

 have been quite inadequate to support the scheme had the 

 dairy farms not existed. 



Requirements of Cottages and Dairy Farms compared. — 

 The revenue which can be obtained from a cottage has been 

 more or less definitely limited by statute to 8s. 8d. per annum 

 (2d. per week), and, as the average number of persons to each 

 cottage is about four and a half, the revenue to be obtained 

 from a cottage population is limited to 2s. per head per annum, 

 whereas the author has found that where water is lacking on a 

 dairy farm, the occupier is generally willing to pay as much as 

 4s. per cow for an ample supply to his homestead for all pur- 

 poses. Under favourable conditions cows may consume as 

 much as 10 gallons per head per day, and if to this be added 

 the water used for cleansing dairy utensils and for refrigerating 

 the milk, 20 gallons per cow may be used. It is somewhat 

 usual to estimate 15 gallons per head as a reasonable supply for 

 domestic purposes, but in a country district where baths and 

 water-closets are not much in use, one-half this quantity is 

 found ample. It may, therefore, be stated with some confidence 

 that as a revenue-producing item and as a water consumer the 

 dairy cow ranks in advance of the cottage dweller. 



Basis of Rating. — The number of dairy cattle that can be 

 supported on a given area of land depends largely on the 

 quality of the land, and, as the rent paid and the rateable 

 value are proportionate, it will be seen that a charge based 

 on the rateable value of a holding will approximately repre- 

 sent the benefits derived from a dairy point of view. 



Use of Water Meters. — It has been found that without 



