Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-12-30
Farm Cisterns.
From the Country Gentleman

AAANH N"N NvHIsAs NNheAlAAAAl
Our readers have heard of the man who
was from year to year annoyed with leaky
roof-because, when the weather was fair it
did not need repairing, and when raining he
could not mend it. In the same way, some
farmers neglect to make provisions for water
ing domestic animals, until drought actually
arrives, and then they cannot We well
know one, who during the present dry wealth.
err, drives his cattle mile to water, at the
same time that he has roof enough on his
large barn to give them all the drink they
need, if q cistern of capacity had been pre-
pared to retain it. The barn cost one thou
sand dollars the cistern might be built for
fifty-yet every animal of his large herd has
to travel nearly thirty miles each week for
necessary drink. He might construct a els
tern now, but it will be another year before
he can derive benefit from it, and so lac puts
off the labor.
His barn is about thirty-fve by seventy
feet-if three feet of rain falls annually,
three cubic feet of water will be afforded by
every square foot of surface more than 7 900
cubic feet from the whole roof which would
be about LOO barrels. This would be
enough to water daily, the gear dlrouqh
leach animal drinking each day four twelve
quart pailfuls), thirteen head of cattle but
if this water was reserved for the dry season
only, or when small streams are dry, thirty
or forty head might be watered from the
roof
Every man, almost, makes his cisterns toe
small, and often they do not hold tenth part
Of the discharges at the caves. In the above
mentioned instance, it would not be necessa.
ry to construct one large enough to hold the
entire LOO barrels. If the cattle were wa.
tered from it the year round, and its contents
thus constantly drawn as it fills, one large
enough to hold 400 barrels would do; but
if used for the dry season only it should b,
more than double. A cstern fourteen feet
in diameter and twelve feet deep, would hold
about 400 barrels--twenty feet in diameter
and the same depth would be sufficient fol
800 barrels.
If built under ground, and contracted
twards the top, it would require to be a little
larger in dimensions, to allow for the con
tracted space. Such contraction would b,
absolutely necessary to admit Of conyenien
and safe covering at the top, and could b,
effected without any difficulty if built of ma
sonry. An ignorant stone mason whom W,
once employed to construct small cistern o
this character, stoutly refused to construc
the walls, asserting, positively, that they
would Immediately tumble in if thus made t
lean, apparently knowing nothing of the Sc
curity of the arch which this would possess
on every side. The pressure of the wate
outward, would be counterbalanced by tn,
pressure of the earth against the exterior
especially if well jammed in as the wall i.
built
Now, at the present time, while the incon
yenience Of an ample supply of water is felt
and while there will be no annoyance from
the streams which at other times ooze through
the earth into the excavations made for els
terms, every deficient farmer should take hole
Of the business and construct such as may b,
desirable.
There are some portions Of the country wher
the subsoil is underlaid by slate or other rocl
which may be excayated, In such cases, i
sometimes happens that with little care il
cutting, the water lime mortar may be imme
diately applied to the rocky walls, shoulde
above being made on which to build the con
tracted part only.
The following table, of the size and con
tents Of cisterns, may be convenient to thos
about to build them. For each foot Of depth
the number Of barrels answering to the diff
ferent diameters, are as follows -