258 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
be sure to be carried through. This drain lias a 
diameter of 4 inches, and it enters the barrel 
about a foot below the top. 
From each side of the barrel, at the same 
depth from the surface, a 3-inch tile runs out 
(B & C). This tile continues as far on each side 
of the barrel as to the lines e, e , where junction 
pieces are put in to connect it with a 2-inch tile. 
From these junctions the side drains continue on 
with 2-inch tiles, with circular bends at the cor¬ 
ner, to commence the drains//. The first 10 
or 15 feet of the parallel drains are laid with 2- 
inch tiles, and from this on are continued to a 
total length of 50 feet or more with lj-inch tiles. 
The side drains, B & C, should be laid exactly 
level, so that the water will flow out equally 
through each, and that which does not enter 
the inner parallel drains will pass on to the 
outer ones. The parallel drains should have a 
slight fall, so that the water will be able to flow 
through the whole length, but not fall enough 
to lead the water rapidly to their lower ends. 
The drain from the sink to the barrel should 
have cemented joints, to prevent the escape of 
nG 
Fig. 2. —pipes fok house sewage. 
any of the water; and those beyond the barrel 
should have spaces between the ends of the tiles 
of 1 R inch, the ends of the tiles being inclosed 
with collars. The entrances to the tiles B & C 
are protected with wire netting, to prevent the 
entrance of coarse particles: Slops from the 
bedrooms may be poured into the barrel (which 
has a movable cover), or there may beacovered 
funnel, G, nearer the house, connecting with it 
by the drain II of 3-inch tiles. In this case the 
funnel must have a strainer, to protect its drain, 
which, like D, should have cemented joints. 
Beyond the barrel, the tiles are only 10 or 12 
inches from the surface,—barely out of reach of 
the spade, and the fertilizing water that oozes 
out at the joints will be within reach of the 
roots of crops; while in time, the whole space 
between the lines of drains will be rendered ex¬ 
ceedingly rich. It is not likely, if the work is 
carefully done, that Such an arrangement as 
this will fail to work successfully for many 
years; and when a stoppage does finally occur, 
it will be but a trifling job to take the tiles up, 
clean them out, and lay them again. 
The only attention required, is an occasional 
cleaning out of the matters accumulated in the 
barrel; and in cold climates the mulching of 
the ground over the tiles to prevent freezing. 
We are now using precisely the plan here 
laid down, and so far as our experience with it 
goes, it is absolutely free from objection. It 
completely supplies the only deficiency of the 
Earth-Closet system, and the care of all sorts of 
waste about our own old-fashioned country 
house is now effected with an entire absence of 
odor that even the best appointed house in a 
well sewered and watered city, cannot equal. 
The system is so perfect, that it must rapidly 
work its way to universal adoption. 
“Harris on the Pig.” 
BY LEWIS E. ALLEN. 
“Harrison the Pig” is a new and valuable 
book, much needed in the present condition of 
domestic Stock Breeding in the United States. 
It is written by one intimately acquainted with 
his subject, and knows well how to treat it. It 
is a happy circumstance that some of our late 
writers on such subjects, can make something 
beyond mere compilations of authors and books 
that have gone before, them, and those writers 
and books chiefly from abroad. What we need 
is American books, native in spirit, experience, 
and treatment; thoroughly pramical and com¬ 
prehensive, as well as exhaustive, in the depart¬ 
ments which they discuss. Such a one we 
consider this to be. We here have the entire 
swine family under discussion, from the untamed 
wild boar of the forest, running through all its 
grades of civilization and improvement, to the 
most refined, and delicate porker which takes 
its ease in the sty, grazes in the clover-field, 
and in the end supplies the human family with 
a luscious and savory, as well as most neces¬ 
sary article of food. 
Charles Lamb, the delightful English essay¬ 
ist, wrote one of his charming articles in lauda¬ 
tion of “ roast pig.” Had he been disposed, he 
could have found in its flesh material for several 
other essays, equally amusing and entertain¬ 
ing, as its uses and virtues are so varied by 
condiment and cooking. But aside from any 
fanciful, or lighter view of the pig, like that 
of Lamb, the edible, and commercial, as well as 
economical discussion of the breeding, rearing, 
and treatment of swine as an important branch 
of our stock growing, is not only well worthy 
the attention, but the close study of every 
farmer in the land, as well as of the village 
dweller who keeps but a single slioat in his pen 
to eat the daily slops from his kitchen, or the 
remnants from his table. 
Mr. Harris takes all the different approved 
breeds into his category, and treats them with 
discrimination, fairness, and excellent judgment. 
He describes them all minutely, tells us where, 
and how they differ in their good qualities; 
which breeds are best fitted for particular uses, 
climates, and soils; describes their best way of 
keeping, their most profitable food, their treat¬ 
ment from birth to breeding or slaughter; and, 
in fact, leaves nothing untouched or unsaid, that 
will develop the most profitable end in the vari¬ 
ous purposes for which its flesh may be designed. 
The origin of the present different breeds, too, 
is well discussed, and much light is thrown 
upon matters connected with swine breeding 
and treatment, seldom before treated, and but 
little understood. He has invested the subject 
with a dignity seldom known in connection 
with so vulgar a creature, as the hog is usu¬ 
ally considered, and elevated it to a compan¬ 
ionship with the other stocks of the farm, 
which few have ever been willing, even among 
its admirers, to concede. The illustrations, in 
the way of portraits, of the different breeds, are 
generally correct and in good taste, although 
occasionally faulty in execution, but on the 
whole creditable and true to their originals.— 
The plans of piggeries, with their various ar¬ 
rangements and accommodations, modes of 
feeding, etc., are excellent, and well planned. 
We might make liberal extracts from the work 
with decided benefit to the reader; but when 
the book is so readily obtained, and the price so 
small, any one who wishes to learn more of the 
subject than they now know, should get the 
book, study it closely, and profit by its instruc¬ 
tion. The book has another merit; viz., it is the 
only one of its kind which we have seen so fully 
treated by an American author. Let no one 
think that a study of the pig is a low subject. 
Some of the most eminent husbandmen of Eu¬ 
rope have made the subject of swine and their 
improvement a study of years; and the most 
gratifying success has crowned their efforts. Let 
it be so here. No subject whatever, which 
tends to the economy of the farm, is too low for 
thought and scrutinizing attention by him who 
owns, works, and lives by its production. We 
look upon all kinds of improved stock as giving 
a larger amount of profit with a given amount 
of food, as we look upon improved farm ma¬ 
chinery and implements, as doing a greater a- 
mount of work with less manual labor and ex¬ 
pense. The time has arrived in which we can 
afford to keep neither poor stock, nor poor im¬ 
plements, when we expect fair profits from our 
farms ; and every one should aim at obtaining 
the best breeds of all that he can in order to ar¬ 
rive at the highest degree of success. In this 
the pig is quite as important as any other branch 
of stock rearing. We commend this book to 
every farmer and country dweller in the land. 
Imported Jerseys. 
There is a great rage for animals of short 
pedigree, and if one comes from Jersey no more 
questions are asked, whether the animal shows 
strong marks of the Guernsey blood and the old 
yellow Norman stock, or not. We have men 
starting Jersey herds who have no intimate ac¬ 
quaintance with the stock, and breed simply be¬ 
cause they suppose money is to be made out of 
them. Ilerd-book animals of certain fashiona¬ 
ble points sell from two to five hundred dollars 
each; not on account of their intrinsic value, 
but because of the artificial value imparted to 
them by the herd-book. They are supposed to 
have had the judgment of the best breeders 
passed upon them, and to have inherited from a 
long line of ancestors the best qualities of the 
breed. The herd-book in reality merely authen¬ 
ticates the fact of importation in the case of 
imported animals, without, generally, going in¬ 
to the history of the animal’s ancestors across 
the water. The Jersey stock is pure bred at 
home as a rule, but there is a difference there, as 
everywhere, among breeders. Some are careful 
and conscientious men, others are not. Some 
breed from the best, and others from what they 
happen to have. We do not believe there is 
any foundation in fact for the preference given 
to short pedigrees. The best Jerseys that could 
be bought without regard to price have been 
carried off from the island for the last thirty 
years. The effects of this steady drain upon 
the stock can be readily understood, when we 
consider that the island is but a small patch of 
land twelve miles long by five broad, embracing- 
only 39,000 acres. It is a region of orchards 
and gardens, and supports with a varied indus¬ 
try a population of some sixty thousand. No 
inconsiderable portion of this very limited terri¬ 
tory must be devoted to other purposes than 
dairying, in order to sustain the population. 
Certainly not more than an average agricultural 
township can be left as the breeding ground of 
these cattle. Yet from these stinted farms, and 
from these farmers of limited means, the Jer¬ 
seys are annually drawn and exported, every 
' man tempted by the high prices offered to part 
