Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-11-19
House Drainage.

Whist to do with sink water and the slops
OF the house IN those hot days when fer
mentation progresses at u twO-fOrty pace,
is puZzling question for farmers. Cities
and large villages are provided with some
public system Of sewerage, but in the coun-
try every mau Is expected to look out for
his own refuse, and those who do it intel
ligeutly are few and far between. Most
farmers wives throw their slops out of
the door, where they lie and ferment, fill
ing the air with miasma, aud saturating
the earth with poison that slowly finds its
way 10 the well and thence to the table
From many a kitchen sink lead pipe con-
duets the dish water through the siding of
house. whence It falls to the ground within
foo. or foot or two Of the cellar wall
through which it percolates, AMI thus con-
teammates the air both inside and outside of
the house. The privy Of the farm house
Is wont to be neglected also, so that, in-
stead of being a reservoir of fertility to the
land, it is a nuisance, and more than this,
q fruitful source Of disease. So great Is
the neglect of these things among the rural
population that citizens are beginning TO
think that the air and water Of the city are
purer than in The country. There is 10
necessity for this state of things. At tri-
fling expense-if the farm house is situated
on some elevation, as it should be-the
sink water and all the refuse Of the cham
bers can he conveyed in an underground
tile 10 a field and thus made 20 do service
as fertilizer. Iron is so cheap nowadays
tha. three or four inch pipe is probably
as economical a conduit FOX the refuse as
can be had. Glazed eartNen pipe, however
answers good purpose. Cement pipe
and common clay tile are so rough that
they are liable TO clog. There is more or
less grease in dish-water, and this IS de-
posted as the water cools on the side OF the
drain. so that small pipe will not answer
for q sink outlet. The drain can be made
OF stone, but in this place it should be
large, and cemented near the house TO pre-
vent the earth from becoming saturated
with poison. When the drain has reached
Il field which it il desired to fertiliZe, no
cement is required, and open bitches or
porous tile may convey the refuse IN diiTer-
ent directions. In all cases there should
be a valve in the sink to prevent the nOz-
ious gases from returning to pOllUte the
LOuSc. Al - dlSO sODb piaH ~ IL bAS
overflow Of the cisterns run into the sink
drain. This will aid in keeping the drain
clear, and distributing the fer.ilizins ma
terial in the fields.
If any farmer mas located his house 50
low that the refuse cannot be carried to the
ncighOOring fields, he is TO be pitied; still,
ii the soil is dry, sandy loan, the situation
is not desperate. a large sink hOie-six
or eight feet in diameter, according to the
size of the family-can be dug at a suita-
be distance from the house, walled up oa
the sides and planked over on top, into
which the refuse can he conducted, whence
il will be gradually absorbed by the soil.
II at auy time the hole becomes filed with
solid matter, ii can be sLove!ed ont AID
composted with dry muck or earth and
made into q valuable fertilizer. II any one
is 50 unfortunate as to have built, inherited
or. purchased house in low, swampy
5po. where drainage is impossible, our adj
vice is. that he should move it TO q higher
site, and if il i5 not worth moving 10 build
= new house and make firewood Of the old
one.