The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-08-22

am tu1l YOU dft ltdlf u EtDutl ~ up
in the first place, select enough o
the largest stones for the bottom
Next, mix enough cement and sand
half Of esch-to keep you busy fol
halt az hour, as good cement com
meaces 70 i" set" in IS minutes, and
VOC must be prepared to work lively
when the cement is ready. To lay
the bottom, first place a quantity OF
cement OF one side Of it into which
plunge the stones 10 close together as
possible, crowding the cement, which
mus: be quite soft, up between them
50 as TO Gil every opening, then cover
the top 50 that when the entire bot
tom is laid the cement and stones
will be about eight inches thick,
which is necessary in eli soils with q
heavy pressure Of water, after long
rains. Il would be best to have two
hands work az stoneing up the sides,
80 as 10 use the cement when made
as rapidly IS possible, and then keep
the cement mixer az work adyants-
geously. In wailing up the sides,
set the stones in courses, leaving a
rough front surface, to receive their
finishing coat Your lead pipe to
connect with a pump in your kitchen
should be ready to insert about three
feet from the surface Of the ground,
to be out of reach of the frost, 10 run
thus to the foundation Of your house,
and through it. coming up TO the
kitchen or the inside; and If not in
your cellar the pipe must be protect
ed where exposed TO frost, by being
wound with woollen cloths q half an
inch thick, and to be well done, as
you want no trouble with bursting
pipes in the winter.
COVERS FOE cIsTERNs.
Cisterns may be covered by arches,
or planks. An arch should be made
Of brick, 10 be laid by a mason and
the eistern should be dug Is inches,
or two feet deeper than when cover
ed with planks, so as to allow for
the space occupied by the arch, as
the top Of it should be, at least, q foot
underground, IN order TO protect the
cement from frost; and as the water
nentralizes the action Of the frost
IL a great degree, | find that a foot
Of earth over the arch is sufficient, If
it is covered with a few inches Of nay
or straw in winter. An opening
must be left at the top of the arch
large enough when curbed 10 admit
Q mar TO go down and clean out the
c%istern when necessary. The curb
should come up about a foot above
the ground, aud have a cover to it.
When plank are used for covering
hey should not be less than an inch
and a quarter thick, matched, and Of
durable wood. Chestnut or cedar
scan,lings three by four, should be
used for the frame to support the
plsnks, with an opening in the mid
die for a trap door (no curb in this
case, aud the open spaces between
the ends Of the frame should be brick
ed up in cement, and the covering
should be kept well painted. The
outlet TO the cistern should b~ethrough
a four-i0ch cylindrical drain tile, to
be fitted in when the ci5tern is made;
and it should be connected with a
drain that is not liable to get choked,
or to set back, and ell the cistern with
muddy water. The conductor from
the house to carry the water into the
cistern should connect on the ground
With he tile running a few inches
under the surface of the ground, and
fitted ia position when the walls of
the cistern are being finished. In
some cases, where the soil is stiff and
clayey, the cement may be plastered
directly against the sides of the els
tern, vet but a triae eau be saved
over using cObble stones; and / think
it cheapest in the end to use stones
where they are plenty, if not, use
brick. A good cistern is valuable to
a family, and it should be built to last
a lifetime. A %cistern should never
be built 10 g cellar, as something
might occur TO deluge it. Place it as
near where the kitchen pump is as
possible, but do not dig it SO near the
house as TO endanger the foundation.
BUYING MORE LAND.
Farmer A. called on me one morn
ing in high spirits. "I've got a bar
gain in land" said be. I've bought
Smiths forty acre lot adjoining my
woods--got it for $50 Gu acre-cheap
as dirt-don't you think SO ?"
1T may be worth what you are to
pay him, ifyou've got the money to
paw for it,"
"0h, / give a mortgage for half the
purchase money but a make it
of Of the land in FIVE years"
"Mr. A., | replied, " | have al
ways till now considered that you
were a man of judgment; but this
buying more land, when you had
more than you could attend to, and
running in debt for it has changed
my opinion. This greed FOR more
land" is what is running usny farm
ers. 1t will do very well to buy
more laad, ifone has the idle cash to
pay for it, but to mortgage it for half
the purchase money these times is
almost proof of a mans insanity" 1t
is needless TO say that MI. A. went
home sonIwha. soberer than be was
when be called on me. And now,
let me warn the readers OF these
Topics against buying land they
pay for, as the times are not
IN a condition to make it safe to do
so. Real estate has deprecated 10
value steadily since 1873 all over the
country. At forced sales of farms,
and other property within a few
weeks in different States, the prices
realized were only about one.third
val re q few years ago. Farm
ing lands. as a rule, do not depreci-
ate in value in hard times, like the
present, as much as city or village
property bat let a farmer try to see
what his arm will bring in cash I'M
der The ha inner. Probably not one
10 q hundred thus sold would
sell for one half what they cost con-
sequently, it is no time to buy land,
unless you al pay for it. If far
mer has idle money, he had better
look around, and find an opportuni-