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How to Know Where to Dig for Old Bottles on a Farm

Older homes and especially old farms did not have the convenience of curbside trash disposal. In the early 1900s, the household garbage was disposed of on the property. Farm workers dug a hole and the trash was placed in it. When these areas became full, grass, weeds and even trees grew over them. Outhouse vaults were usually filled with garbage when a new one was built.

Instructions

- 1
  Check the location of the outhouse on the original deed and plot maps of the property. These records should be available in the deed books at the courthouse, if you do not have them.
- 2
  Ask older neighbors and family members if they remember what was done with the garbage or where some outbuildings may have been.
- 3
  Look on the property for slightly elevated hills or unusual depressions in the ground that are away from the house. If there is an area where old appliances were taken, the household trash is probably buried nearby.
- 4
  Use a metal detector to scan these areas. If you detect a lot of a metal, try digging in that area. Several areas may have been used over the years. If a metal detector is not available, dig by hand.
- 5
  Look around your community and on gravel and dirt roads in rural areas for former dumpsites that you may be able to access.

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