trenches. The system worked well for about four
years. Then, one warm and sticky day in July, it ceased to function. A
plumber demonstrated that the tiles were clogged with silt because the
bed of crushed stone had been forgotten. For a week the house was
sewerless while the careless short cut was remedied. The household had
but two alternatives, take a vacation or go primitive.

However, if a properly installed system fails to work, the cause lies
in what it has to digest. Too much grease or too strong antiseptic
solutions will reduce or prevent proper fermentation. Waste grease
should therefore go into the garbage can. Also, strong doses of
germ-killing solutions poured daily down sink-drains and toilets can
put the hardiest septic tank out of action. The remedy for such
misguided sanitary efforts is simple. Turn on all the faucets in the
house and so flush the tank thoroughly. Then pour down a toilet one or
two pails of warm water in which a dozen cakes of yeast have been
thoroughly dissolved. The bacteria of the yeast will re-establish
fermentation in the tank and all will be well if no further doses of
disinfectants come along to interfere.

When one stops to consider, the septic tank is a remarkably simple and
effective means of being rid of household wastes odorlessly and
without contamination. Of course, such a system should be placed as
far as possible from a water source and the disposal fields should
not be located in a low, damp ground. The drier the soil, the better.
Incidentally, a lawn which turns brown during the dry weather of
summer can frequently be kept green if watered by such a method. The
lines of the disposal pipes can be laid in practically any pattern
desired. Fan-shaped or with parallel laterals is a favorite one. Here
the branches should be so spaced that they are six feet apart. This
will give plenty of surrounding earth to absorb the moisture.

In using this system, there are two things to bear in mind. The action
that goes on within a septic tank will only dissolve paper of tissue
grade. Therefore, old bandages, pieces of absorbent cotton, and the
like should go into the incinerator. Otherwise, they will clog the
system and a thorough cleaning will be imperative. Secondly, the
leaders which care for the water from the eaves cannot be connected to
it, as entirely too much water would flow into the tank during storms.

However, there are several ways of taking care of the water shed by