The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-07-22
From the N. Y. Eve. Post, July 9th.
The Management of Earth
Closets.

IMPORTANT TO COUNTRY HoUsEKEEPERs.
I'm response to numerous inquiries we
publish the following information on the
preparation of earth, for, and the general
management of, the earth closet < = 81
DRYING THE EARTH. .
The earth used in the earth-closet mnst
be dry-as dry as it is possible to keep it
by protection from rain, dew and mist.
However dry it may be made by artificial
means, it will absorb the hygrometric
moisture of the atmosphere, which could
only be excluded by hermetical sealing.
This amount of moisture, which is not
perceptible to the sight or touch, in no
way interferes with its efficiency But
it must be air dry, or it will not fully
accomplish its purpose. ST
The best and cheapest drying apparatus
lis the sun and wind of a summer day.
During drought The parched surface Of
naked land is III precisely the condition
needed for use, and a years supply may
then be taken into close outbuilding or
dry cellar and stored till wanted.
Those who have not made, or cannot
make, this provision, may store damp
earth in we'll ventilated dry place, from
which mists can be excluded and in short
er or longer time, according to the climate,
| it will become dry-just as bread SO kept
would do. The writer has hada commode
in constant use for nine months, and near
/ ly all of his winter ssupply OF earth has
been dried and re-dried in a .hogshead
lying on its side, its open end-facing
the south being protected from rain and
mist by close screen of rough boards
leaning against it. The sun had very
little chance at it, but the wind had, and
the drying has been sufficiently rapid for
such limited supply as is needed for
one commode. 5m at sia ;oaaeea
AT the experimental station of the Uni
ted States Engineeas Cat Fort Adams)
there sin use sort of hot bed, raised a
little from the ground with board floor,
and provided with movable sashes bat
tened at the joints. The earth is thrown
loosely in to depth of about six inches,
and whenever a drying wind blows the
sashes are raised at both ends. In damp
weather they are kept close, and when
the sun Shines without there being much
wind, they are raised at the back only
enough to allow the escape of the moist
ture evaporated. This plan is cheap,
simple, and perfectly effective. es
To dry the earth in moro systematic
way, especially for the supply of towns or
large factories, it will be necessary, par
ticularly in winter, to employ the aid of
fire heat. The scale on which this is to be
done, must determine theextent of theap-
planes for the purpose, Earth enough for
the use of a family may be dried in a shall
low box near the furnace, or the kitchen
hstove or range. For the supply of larger
! establishments or for towns, when tho rel
quisite quantity of earth has not been
stored in the summer, it will be well to
use drying apparatus similar to one cree
eed by Mr.. James Waring for the supply
of a number Of closets in New Haven. a'r.
This plate of "a inch boiler iron con-
Idemned for other use-set on brick walls
high enough to allow small stove to be
placed under it, the pipe or fue running
from the stove, which is in the front of the
space, to an opening at the rear. The
earth is spread upon the plate a few inch.
es deep, and is very rapidly made ready
lol usef iEH y gd2t gAga gaafaF eGaJf
RE-DRYING.
,bi In this country, where earth is plenty
, land where there is use on the farm or in
the garden for the manure, it will be best
Ito compost the accumulation of the closet
until required forause, and to supply the
i closet with fresh earth !; not because it is
more effective than that which. has been
.1seyeral times used, but because it is bet
ter to have the manure as bulky as posi-
BILE for ease of even distribution. But in
towns, and in all cases in which the ma
nure, has to be transported to a distance,
/ making it desirable that it should be as
concentrated as possible, the same cart
should be used Overland over again. It has
!, been demonstrated that the same earth