The Rural Voice, 1979-02, Page 11The good old days?
Health hazards common
on the 1880 farm
BY ADRIAN VOS
In this day of concerns about energy conservation, health
hazard fears, and clean water, it would be well to listen to the
advice that farmers got some one hundred years ago. How did a
farmer supply his house and barn with clean water without the
use of ele ctricity or other modern devices? "Farming for Profit"
published in 1880, in Brantford, has all the answers.
If there was a spring on the property it was relatively easy.
One had to observe certain rules however, for if a septic tank,
then called a "vault" was built too close, the water could be a
health hazard. This could also happen if the barn was built on a
higher elevation than the house and well.
That a lead pipe should not be used was well known, but many
will remember that they were used nevertheless. While iron pipe
was quite acceptable, the recommended material was for wooden
conducts. It was inexpensive and easy to make and repair.
If there was a spring on the farm, it had to be fenced to keep
the animals away from it, grated to keep smaller animals out,
and covered with stone slabs to keep the children from falling in.
Failing a spring, one could buy one from a neighbour if there
was one close enough, or a well could be dug. The digging
should be done in a dry period and made deeper than first
tbught necessary, for there could easily be very dry summer
and then water was more needed than ever, the book points out.
CLOSE
The well should be close enough to the house to allow the
pump to be located in the kitchen, and far enough from the vault
to be free of contamination.
A third option was to build a cistern and then catch the rain
from the roof. Since about three feet of rain fell in our area, it
was possible to figure out how much fell on each roof and size the
cistern accordingly. This provided the household with soft water
and saved quite a bit of soap.
If cistern water was to be used for drinking, some extra
measures were necessary. Farming for Profit suggests first
dividing the cistern in two halves by a wall that started six inches
off the bottom. The top was to be covered so no dust and dirt
could get in the water compartment receiving the water from the
roof was filled at the bottom with alternate layers of gravel, sand
and "pounded charcoal." The other part was to be filled at the
bottom with alternate layers of sand and gravel. Energy was
supplied by muscle power, namely a suction pump.
Usually the rainwater was not enough to supply house and
•V‘ M:tNITFACTCRED BY ECLIPSE WIND•MILL CO.,
FIG. 88.—EXCELSIOR SUCTION AND FORCE -
PUMP.
THE RURAL VOICE/FEBRUARY 1979 PG. 11