The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-03-24
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD
About CiSternS.

A DISTINGUISHED physician, who has
long and carefully tested the subject,
writes thus
Hard water for cooking is bad. Many
vegetables are nearly spoiled by being
| cooked in it; and it is difficult to get a
good infusion of tea or coffee. The water
used in the city of London requires full
One-fOurth more Of tea or coffee to obtain
an infusion of equal strength than that
obtained in soft water, while the flavor
is decidedly inferior"
The superior cleansing properties of
rain-water are acknowledged by every
housekeeper who has ever been obliged to
do a large washing.
In many localities, it is extremely diff
cult to obtain good water from wells. The
water may be tainted with limc or alum,
or salts, or sulphur. Or, again, it may be
necessary to dig wells so deep that they are
very expensive, costing often from one to
five hundred dollars.
| In any locality, however, good and use
full cisterns may be made, at cost OF
twenty to fifty dollars, which will give a
| full supply of soft, pure water.
| Some 400 hogsheads of water fall upon
the roof of 30 by 40 foot house or barn,
this being equal to $4,000 pailfuls at least.
| Allowing four pailfuls day to each ami
nal, this quantity will afford drink for
twenty head of cattle daily the year
round.
| A hogshcad contains about So cubic or
solid feet. A cistcrn two feet two inches
square, and of the same depth, will hold
| one hOgshcad one twice that size and
depth will hold eight hogsheads
one eight feet each way will hold
sixty-two hogsheads; and one ten feet
each way will hold 800 hogsheads A
round cistcrn, four feet in diameter and six
feet deep, will hold OVER 46 hogshcadS of
water one of the same diameter, and
nine feet deep, will hold about 50 hogs
heads; one twelve feet deep, same diane
ter, about 90 hogsheads.
Generally speaking, the best place for a
cistern in a dwelling house is in the cellar
and one of brick is preferable, if your els
tern is above the ground. Good hard
bricks should be used, and well laid in
good cement. Mixtures of one-fourlh
cement to three-fourths sand will some
times make a better mortar than other
qualities OF cement with equal proportions
of both SO that it is best to be governed
by the working of the material when
mixed. 1t should be tenacious, slip readi-
ly from the trOwel, and harden quickly
To make good cement-mOrtar, the sand
and cement should be thoroughly mixed
before any water is applied and used as
soon as is practicable after it is wet
1t is better to have the lower half of the
cistern walls eight inches in thickness
When half way to the required height
the inner course may be dropped.
The entire outside should be well plas
| INF in -
one Immediately after the other, and each
as thin as possible. Where both coats ex
coed three eights of an inch in thickness
they are liable to crack
The last and most particular part of the
work is to lay the bottom 1t is absolute
Unnecessary that this should be upon a firm
foundation. where it cannot possibly sag
If the bottom lowers the least particle, the
cistern is worthless, and nine times in ten
cannot be repaired
l have known as many as six successive
bottoms put in a single cistern; still tn,
cistern continued TO leak, for when filled
to certain height the weight of th'
water caused the bottom to give down
ward This will, perhaps, account for tn,
mysterious leakage in the cisterns of som,
of your readers.
In case of any cracks in the inside plas
tering, it is best to apply, with common
white-wash brush, a thick wash of cemen
and sand. Cement work should not b
exposed to the frost till it is thorough,
hardened, as freezing causes the insid
plastering to peel off in lakes.
1t is not advisable To let in water 70
some time after the completion of tn
work; from four to six weeks is general
long enough to wait.
In this locality (Massachusetts), cistern
are often dug in the ground, like well.
= The cement is laid directly upon tn
) earth at the sides and bottom Ga brick bot
tom is sometimes put in).
: A few courses-siX or eight-of brio
should be laid in cement around the uppe
: edge, to hold up the loose earth, and ipre
2 vent any possible action of frost. Thes
are cheaper than brick cisterns, take IL
9 less room, and are as good if the groun
is tough and clayey.-Heqrth and Home.