Timely Hints for Farmers. 103 



Again, the adobe hole is notoriously in conflict with dairy- 

 ing interests. When a cow wades belly deep into a filthy tank, 

 festering in the heat, and fouled with excretions, her milk will 

 inevitable suffer. Not only will the foul odors of the water she 

 drinks be imparted in some measure to the milk, but millions of 

 bacteria, adhering to her hair and udder will, when she is dried 

 off and milked, find their way as dust into the milk pail. Quick 

 souring of milk in warm weather and undesirable changes in 

 butter and cheese, caused by bacteria, result. 



One sample of water from an adobe hole near Phoenix was 

 found by Dr. Tyler, cf the Station, to contain over a billion germs 

 to the cubic inch. The possibility, indeed the certainty, of con- 

 tamination from such a source is evident. A creamery manager, 

 in defense of his own business, is manifestly justified in refusing 

 milk from a herd using such water, and the Tempe creamers' is 

 stated to have successfully required that its patrons obtain well 

 water for their cows. 



Stock water tanks and streams are also wasteful of water. 

 The seepage and evaporation from large canals sometimes amounts 

 to 30 per cent of the water carried, and from tanks and small 

 streams such as are permitted under the Tempe canal, it is un- 

 doubtedly more. 



There is indeed little to be said in favor of the adobe hole, 

 but we have not far to go for a remedy. Under our feet, for the 

 most part within economical pumping distance, is a great storage 

 reservoir of excellent drinking water. South of the river it is 

 from four to fifty feet to this supply while only at the higher levels 

 above Phoenix is it as much as one hundred feet to water. 



It has been sufficiently proved by practical men, especially at 

 the lower levels, that windmills and horse power pumps are suc- 

 cessful and desirable for watering stock. For instance, Dr. Wil- 

 bur, of Mesa, states that with a 5,000 gallon tank and a small 

 windmill he has never run out of water for his stock. Most of 

 the farmers about Mesa are also familiar with the cheap and effi- 

 cient horsepower devices successfully operated in that vicinity. 



In a few words, therefore, it may be stated that the adobe 

 hole promotes contagious diseases among animals, is a drawback 

 to high class dairying, is a source of ill health to human beings, 



