Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-08-19

enough, will absorb all unhealthy fex-
halations, and will themselves exhale
an exceedingly healthy balsa1hic odor.
| There are few things of a more anti
septic nature than pine gum, and IN a
| land of white pines we expect to find
| few fevers and little consumption.
The next surrounding of the farmer
which is prolific of disease is his cellar.
1t is apt to be damp, often undrained,
and the repository of much filth and
some decaying vegetables. We have
been in many cellars over which we
would no sooner think of living than
over a tomb. The air was damp and
redolent Of rotten cabbages, turnips,
and onions. The cellar windows were
all shut. and there was no egress for the
vile odors except up the stairway into
the living rooms. If the jewellers in a
house over such cellar should have
the typhoid fever, they should not at
tribute their sickness to some mysteri-
Gus Providence. The wonder is that
Providence provides SO many antidotes
to disease when men are SO careless.
The cellar should be kept neat and well
ventilated; especially should all vege-
tables be removed as soon ashley begin
to sprout and decompose. A coat of
whltewash will do much toward sweet
ening the air of the cellar, but nothing
can accomplish this effectually without
thorough ventilation. Of course the
windows should all be out, and the
gangway left open. The most efectual
ventilation for the cellar, and one. which
operates both winter and summer, is to
make a hole in the chimney. The draft
will be up the chimney, whether the
wind blows Or not, and all vile odors
will be deodorized as they pass up the
fues. If allowed to escape from the
cellar windows they often find their
way into the house, and always pollute
| the surrounding air. IS 80
4" Another frequent cause Of disease in
a farmers surroundings is the cess
pool. Into this, are poured the wash
water and the Stops of the house gen.
orally, and a richer compound for the
land can hardly be desired than that
found in. a cess-pool during the fer
lmenting months of July and August. It
makes squashes and cucumbersA grow
at a great rate, but the very cause
which malas it good for the land rem
ders its exhalations unfit for breathing.
How to avoid the poisonous gases
arising from the fermenting contents Of
the cess-pool is one Of the perplexing
questions of country life. We have no
sewers by which to take off the waste
Of the family. to the sea or river, and
would not ike to loseall this fertilizing
material if we had sewer. If the
house stands on an elevation, this
waste can be- readily conveyed in ce-
ment pipes to such distance that the
exhalations VIII not return to poison
the family, especially if some pine
trees be planted between the house and
the outlet. At this outlet a compost
heap can be formed of great value by
scooping out the soil, -bowl- shaped,
cementing the bottom, if it is Of q
leachy nature, and filing in occasion
ally with sods on dry muck.
The, privy is. another prolific source
OF disease around the farmers premi-
ses. Here IRE deposited the excrement
of the. family, and though no one may
be sick, and thus communicate disease
through this sink hole, still the decay
and waste of the body are represented
In the privy vault, and the tendency of
all decay is to propagate decay. If the
water closet is under the same roof with
the house, the pernicious gases are
liable to penetrate into every room, I'M
less special pains are taken. The privy
vault should be cemented on the side
and made air tight Oh top, and then,
with ventilating-tube running from it
to the top Of the house-or, better
stlll, the chimney-the current Of air
will pass down through the holes and
up this tube. With daily sprinkling
Of dry earth or sifted coal-ashes upon
the excrement, the air Of the water
closet can be kept perfectly sweet and
wholesome. The privy of many farmers
are out doors, and of course there is
less hazard from these, as the air circu-
lates between them and the house; but
in these cases it will pay both in health
and fertilizing material, to cover the
ezcrement daily with dry earth and an
occasional sprinkling Of copperas. .:.-
Another surrounding OF the farm
house, and great breeder of disease
as it is too frequent kept, is the barn
yaIu. NOW OdiAy "IuodIe SOOu Ill Gnelr
place, but their place is not under the
kitchen windows, as We have sometimes
seen them located. He makes a great
mistake who does not contrive to have
free circulation Of pure air between
the abode Of his family and the abode
of his beasts. It may be very conven-
lent to go from the house to the barn
without going out doors, but con-
venience is not the only thing to be re-
garded in constructing buildings. It
would be very convenient to have a
bedroom next to the stable. Put the
barn and barn-yard at suitable distance
from the house to- the leeward of the
prevalent winds, and out of sight and
smell, If possible, if already located
near the house, and it is impossible to
move them, plant screen Of pine trees
between the barn and the house, to pre-
vent unseemly sights and still more IN
seemly smells. In any event the stables
should be kept sweet and the barn-yard
should not be one great slough of des-
pond and breeder of disease. It was