THE WISCONSIN FARMER.



knows that the benefits of irrigation to crops
are very great, and will alone pay well for the
cost of this operation, which so readily secures
the twofold use of rain water. Those who are
not satisfied of this fact should observe the
rich and thrifty effects, upon meadows and
some other crops, of water standing a day or
two on them, after heavy showers.

  The roofage of house and shed for a good
dwelling is usually equal to that of the barn,
where a large quantity of soft water may be
continually collected in a good cistern, which
every owner of a farm is able to have,- with
good pump and sink attached. But cisterns
for the house should be deeper and narrower
than for the barn-say twelve to fifteen feet
deep, that the water may be cooler for drink-
ing. They should also be divided by a parti-
tion wall, with a filter of some kind ; there
are various ways of making them, at small
cost. If the partition wall be of porous brick
or stone, it will answer the purpose very well
as a filterer; though a regular one, which can
be changed or renewed, as may be needed, is
better. The apartment into which the water
runs from the eave conductors should be a few
inches deeper than the one out of which the
water is drawn for use; then the impurities
and sediments will settle to the bottom of the
former, and clear water will always be afford-
ed for use for all purposes.
  Besides being more healthful to drink, and
pleasant for washing, soft or cloud water is
far better for all culinary purposes. All meatE
and vegetables cooked in it i ill have better
flavor and be more wholesome, while tea and
coffee are more quickly made in it, and their
tineft aroma more perfectly preserved.  An
English physician, who has carefully examined
the subject, writes: " Hard water for cookinr
is decidedly bad; many vegetables are nearly
spoiled by being cooked in it: and it is diffi.
cult to get a good infusion of tea or coffee ii
it; the water used in the city of London re
quires full one-fifth more of tea and coffee t4



obtain an infusion of equal strength as tha
which is obtained in soft water."



Experienced tasters, those in the habitual
use of it, can readily distinguish by the taste
tea and coffee made in soft water, by its richer
flavor and superior strength.
  And those who have become accustomed to
it like the taste of rain water from clean cis-
terns even better than good well water; while
after a little season of using it, the water
drawn from these deeper cisterns will be found
palatable, cold enough, and will be found to
quench thirst more satisfactorily than colder
water. Such is the experience of the writer.
  Then it is well known that apothecaries can
not make as good tinctures and decoctions with
hard water, but always use soft or distilled
water. Besides, the teakettles and other uten-
sils do not get coated and filled up with lime,
in the use of rain water.
  This is an advantage that will be appreciat-
ed, particularly by tidy housewives.

  SAFETY AGAIxST FIRE.-In dwellings and
other buildings where water is collected in re-
servoirs above the floors, or even in shallow
cisterns, it can be more quickly and easily
used in case of fire, than when deep wells or
distant springs must be resorted to; a consid-
eration of no small importance, particularly
in rural districts and small villages, where
there are no fire engines. Where these reser-
voirs are known to be kept in order and filled,
in the buildings, the cheapened cost of insur-
ing them will nearly pay the expense of them.
  MORE CONDI CIVI: TO GOrn' IIEALTH.-BUt
here is really ftound the moit interesting argu-
ment in favor of the habitual use of cloud wa-
ter. Besides the convenience and cheapness
resulting from a supply of water by this mode,
there is another and superior recommendation
to its universal adoption, for both man and beast
-that is the preservation of health.
  This important consideration will not be un-
heeded by wise and thoughtful persons in ar-
ranging a comfortable res:denec, in country
or city, in watered regions or the destitute
prairies; in this respect it is everywhere equal-



ly valuable.
  It is a well established fact that the stomach



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