  Domestic garbage and trash on farms can be divided into four classes—(1) waste of plant or animal origin suitable for animal feed, (2) unpalatable plant or animal waste, (3) combustible trash, and (4) noncombustible material. The disposal of these wastes is simplified if the four classes are kept separate. Trash to be burned should be kept dry. Coffee grounds, tea leaves, citrus rinds, fish heads, entrails, eggshells, and similar material are most readily handled if drained and put in paper sacks. Cans should be placed where they will not collect water and become breeding places for mosquitoes. Cans will corrode faster if heated sufficiently to burn off all grease. When the trash accumulates it should be hauled to some out-of-the-way place, such as a gully, or buried. Neat-appearing garbage containers are desirable for kitchen use and should be small enough to require daily emptying. Large containers may be placed within easy reach outside the house and screened with a lattice fence or shrubbery. Substantial containers of rust-resistant metal will not quickly become an eyesore and a nuisance. Tight covers should be used to keep out prowling animals and to eliminate the habit of tossing wastes from the back door. Open or wooden containers are not recommended. A good way to protect the garbage pail is to place it in a small pit that has a manhole frame and a lid that can be raised by foot pedal. A gravel bottom in the pit will assist in draining water away. Outdoor receptacles, if emptied and cleaned once a week, generally do not become foul. Grease, coffee grounds, and other similar materials that adhere to the sides of containers can be removed by scraping with a little sand prior to scalding. Electrically operated units grind garbage and bones and discharge the material through the kitchen-sink drain. They will not handle tin cans, glass, and the like. They may be used on farms if the septic tank is larger than normal and if sufficient water is available for flushing the drain to prevent clogging. Garbage to be fed to animals should be preserved as carefully as is human food. To prevent the spread of trichinosis and other diseases, it should be cooked before it is fed to hogs. Garbage left uneaten by the animals should be disposed of by one of the methods described above. Incineration is the most sanitary method of disposing of farm wastes. Garbage, however, is not easily burned. Figure 16 shows a type of incinerator A limited quantity of refuse may be burned in a kitchen range or a furnace, but it may cause accumulations of grease in the flue and require frequent cleaning to prevent fire. Next to burning, burial is the most desirable method of waste disposal. Waste material may be deposited in a trench 3 or 4 feet wide, 7 or 8 feet long, and 4 or 5 feet deep and covered with earth when filled to within 18 inches of the top. If there is no fire hazard, the contents of the trench may be burned. Garbage may be included in a compost heap with leaves, peat, manure, and similar materials. The compost pile should be in an inconspicuous place, built up to the desired height with materials that will rot, and then covered with 2 or 3 inches of earth. The top should be level and the sides steep sloping. It is necessary that the material being composted be kept moist; otherwise it will not rot. Frequently commercial fertilizer is added to increase the fertilizing value of the compost. Ashes and clinkers removed from furnaces should be placed in metal containers to eliminate fire hazard. Wood ashes may be spread on the lawn or garden, as they have some fertilizing value. Figure 16.—A satisfactory incinerator for household use. Figure 17.—Details of construction of the household incinerator pictured in figure 16. Click on image to view larger sized. Trash burners of various designs suitable for burning small quantities of paper and rags are available or may be improvised. The main requirements are provision for adequate draft and for preventing the escape of burning paper or live embers. U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1948 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Transcriber Note Illustrations were repositioned so as to not split paragraphs. |
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