536 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



diameter of these wells is four and a half* inches, and both furnish water impregnated with 

 saline sulphur. The water from the first has a temperature of 73.4 F., the second 150 F. 

 At Louisville, Kentucky, there is an artesian well three inches in diameter and 2086 feet 

 deep. At Charleston, South Carolina, there is one sunk to the depth of 1250 feet, which 

 discharges water ten feet above the surface at the rate of 1200 gallons per hour. At Chicago 

 there are two artesian wells, one of which is 700 feet and the other 1000 feet deep. These 

 wells are five inches in diameter, and supply the city with 800,000 gallons of pure water 

 daily. One of the deepest artesian wells in the United States is that at the State House in 

 Columbus, Ohio, which is 2775^ feet, but the water is salt, and does not rise above the 

 surface. 



Among the most noted of these wells in Europe is that of Grenelle, in the vicinity of 

 Paris. It is about 1800 feet deep, and exerts a pressure equal to a rise of 812 feet above the 

 surface (in pipes), and discharges about half a million of gallons per day. This water is very 

 pure, and is supplied to the portion of the city in which it is located; but as its temperature 

 is 82 F., it requires cooling before being used for drinking purposes. It is used also for 

 warming the hospitals at Grenelle. 



Artesian wells are of ancient origin, there being unmistakable traces of them in Lom- 

 bardy, Asia Minor, Persia, China, Egypt, Algeria, and even in the great desert of Sahara. 

 A well within the old Carthusian convent at Lillers, bored in the year 1126, still flows with 

 undiminished force. They derive their name, however, from Artois in France (the ancient 

 Artesium), where they have been used for a long period. 



They are usually from three to six inches in diameter, though sometimes even larger, 

 but never exceeding twelve inches, and are made by boring into the earth until the required 

 depth is reached. This depth varies in different localities, depending upon the geologic 

 structure and general surface conformation. When a subterranean sheet of water is reached, 

 which is confined between two inclined, impervious strata of clay or rock, one above and the 

 other below, and so formed that the pressure of the water is brought to bear against the part 

 penetrated by the boring instruments, an artesian well is formed, which furnishes constantly- 

 flowing water. In this respect they differ from the common well, since they are simply 

 artificial springs, which bring water to the surface from a great depth, often throwing it to a 

 greater or less height above the surface of the ground. 



They are bored either by hand, horse, or steam power, the latter being the most effective 

 in facilitating the labor; various kinds of augurs, chisels, and other implements being required 

 for boring through the different layers of rock, clay, etc. A great improvement has been 

 made within a few years by the invention of the diamond -pointed drill. It consists of a long 

 steel bar, the end of which may be either conical, concave, or annular, and is firmly set with 

 diamonds, so as to present cutting edges to the rock when turned right-handed. It is gener 

 ally worked by steam or compressed air, and by its use the hardest granite may be bored at 

 the rate of several inches per minute; this instrument is also extensively used in mining. 

 Tubing is generally necessary to prevent the well from caving in at the sides, to exclude 

 undesirable veins of water, or the entrance of quicksand, the latter of which is said to be the 

 most troublesome source of difficulty in such wells. The tubing is sometimes of wood, but 

 generally of iron; bronze and copper also being used to a certain extent. Of course, the 

 making of such wells is attended with considerable expense; but in those regions which are 

 deficient in other sources of water supply, it often becomes a necessity, and when we con 

 sider their durability and the great benefits to be derived from their use in such localities, 

 they are comparatively cheap. We know of some farmers and fruit-growers in California 

 that have three or four artesian wells on their lands, which are exceedingly productive, but 

 which would be almost worthless for agricultural purposes without them. 



