Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-01-26
Drainage of Farm Buildings.

So interesting has the subject of drainage
become to large class Of readers that too
frequent recurrence to it is hardly possible
The experience of practical men who have
thoroughly tested it, counted its cost and
reaped its benefits, is the most valuable as
well as the most interesting information that
eau be given. In recent number of the
Country Gentleman, paper to which we are
Indebted for many excellent articles given in
our Agricultural Department, is one under the
above head by Judge French of Concord, Mass.
The drainage Of house-celars and nk-drain-
age are considered in this article, aud many
valuable suggestions, rs well as his own expe-
rience as TO the manner of draining these dis
agreeable yet unavoidable receptacles, are
contained therein We give this week that
pertaining to cellars
The Drainage Of House CelInrs.
In the cellars Of many good houses in all
our country towns, more or less water stands
in the spring-time for many days and weeks.
In our own well regulated town of Concord,
which abounds in great and wise men, there
are streets where usually in the spring, water
stands many inches deep for weeks in most OF
the cellars aud until the general water-tabc
Of the neighborhood subsidies below them.
When we reflect what the soil of n cellar.
bottom has absorbed in half century's use,
Of the juices of turnips and onions, of cider
and brine not TO mention cats and rats and
mice, and thousand nameess horrors, we
may imagine what sort of a soup is produced
by the rising of water to the depth of a few
inches, and its stagnation beneath the floors
Of our parlors, dining-rooms and kitchens.
If the statistics of death and disease in such
houses could be carefully given, they would
without doubt, appal the living. Yet we are
careless and thoughtless habitually about such
circumstances as have always existed.
Where a whole street or several neighbor.
ing houses are troubled in this way, the best
remedy is to lay at joint expense a sewer oil
drain-pipe to some stream or depression low
enough to afford an outlet, aud then for each
proprietor to drain from his own cellar into
IT, with proper traps such as will be described
TO prevent cogging the sewer 4 single ex-
VI
| will briefly describe how drained the Gel.
lar of my present dwelling-house. The house
had been occupied some eighty years when
bought it, and had never been drained. The
soil is sandy aud the land fat was told
that once in two or three years, the water
would rise sometimes foot deep in the cellar
and remain some weeks. IN the fall of | o3I
took levels and found that by crossing til,
street, and going in all 2l0 feet from the cor
ner of the house, there was good outfal
into the meadow of my neiehbor. who CAV,
me permission to do what wished.
From minutes in my farm record. entered
at the time, give the description of til,
drain as finished. II begins one foot below
the bottom of the cellar, six and one.half feet
south of the north corner, with three incl
tiles runs on curve with fall of lively,
inches to the highway, thence straight dag
onally across the street, with fall of sevel
inches to centre Of the street. aud nineteer
al IA ka M do al,