Tlic American Tube Well 



69 



sunk in farm-yards near the manure pits, as 

 the water in such cases is frequently rendered 

 quite useless, owing to the soakage from the 

 manure finding its way into the well. This 

 is prevented, however, by the construction 

 and action of the Tube Well. 



With respect to the watering of pasture 

 fields, it is a matter of every-day occurrence 

 that such are totally without water for the 

 stock, rendering it necessary to bring it by a 

 water-cart, sometimes from a considerable 

 distance, and always with considerable trouble 

 and expense. From the circumstance that 

 such fields, when under a regular rotation, 

 seldom remain in grass for more than two or 

 three years, leaving an interval of three or 

 four years before they are again occupied by 

 grazing stock, very few incur the expense of 

 sinking wells for the convenience of such 

 fields. When the Tube Well is employed the 

 expense is reduced to a minimum ; first, in 

 the original cost, and, next, from the fact 

 that when circumstances no longer require 

 that a well shall exist in any particular field, 

 the tube can be raised without difficulty 

 and sunk elsewhere. This is a material point 

 in its favour, as a means of supplying the 

 pasture-fields on a farm with water. When 

 two or three pasture-fields meet at a point, 

 one Tube Well, sunk at that point, will be suf- 

 ficient to supply all the four fields with water. 



In fami-yards, or where water is required 

 for the supply of a country house, the tube 

 may be sunk, if necessary, close to the build- 

 ing, which cannot be safely done in all cases 

 with the ordinary well. The tube may aho be 

 sunk close to, or even within the dairy or 

 engine-house ; and with reference to dairies, 

 we may state that water obtained from the 

 Tube Well is not only pure, but also cold. 

 Where large quantities of water are required, 

 if one tube, say of the largest size, is not 

 sufficient, two, three, or even more tubes may 

 be sunk, and these, when joined together at the 

 top and worked by power, are found to keep 



even very extensive works amply supplied. At 

 a time wl^en fires have, unfortunately, become 

 so prevalent in farm-yards — owing, no doubt, 

 in many cases, to the extensive use of ma- 

 chinery driven by steam — we need scarcely 

 say that a constant and large supply of water, 

 procurable by means of the Tube Well, is a 

 matter of the utmost consequence. 



There is another point in connexion with 

 the application of the Tul )e Well in rural dis- 

 tricts, to which we wish to direct attention. 

 It is always very important that farm labour- 

 ers' cottages, whether placed singly or in ham- 

 lets, shall be well supplied with wholesome 

 water. Yet, how often do we find that such 

 is not the case, and that the cottages are fre- 

 quently entirely dependent upon a muddy 

 ditch, or the drainage water of a field collected 

 in a hole near the roadside, where it is open 

 to dust and dirt of all kinds, to passing ani- 

 mals, and in fact to every pollution. Even 

 where wells have been sunk more carefully, it 

 is by no means rare that such are polluted by 

 soakings from neighbouring ashpits and dung- 

 hills ; and it is a well-ascertained fact that the 

 use of impure water has, in manifold instances, 

 brought on malignant fever, cholera, and 

 other fatal diseases. With the view of guard- 

 ing against such calamities, cottages have 

 sometimes been erected in objectionable 

 and unsuitable situations, but conveniently 

 situated as regards a supply of pure water. 

 From what has been stated it will be evident, 

 we think, that the tube well presents a ready, 

 cheap, and effective means for reformation 

 with respect to the water supply of country 

 cottages and hamlets. The fearful epidemics 

 which recently raged at the village of Terling in 

 Essex, and some of the villages in Fifeshire, 

 and which were distinctly traceable to the use of 

 impure water, should act as warnings to those 

 who have the control of such matters ; and we 

 are satisfied that they will find in the Tube Well 

 an easy and effective preser\^ative against 

 similar disasters. 



