FARM SANITATION 217 



malaria germ will breed in any damp corner of the 

 cellar unless it is screened. 



Shade. Trees are very desirable about the home, 

 but they should not be so dense as to shut out sun- 

 light, nor should they be too close, because leaves 

 will fall in the house gutters. 



Water Supply. One of the richest blessings of 

 any farm is good, pure drinking water. It is of the 

 greatest importance that wells are carefully covered 

 over and that no surface water is allowed to run 

 in over the unguarded edges. Surface water is al- 

 ways more or less dangerous, because it may carry 

 a small amount of sewage which contains the ty- 

 phoid germ. After water has soaked through a few 

 feet of earth it is said to be filtered and free from 

 germs. Every well or cistern should be provided 

 with a modern pump. The old-fashioned bucket is 

 a danger to health, since careless people drink direct- 

 ly from it, perhaps leaving disease germs in the 

 vessel which endanger others; Cistern water is 

 more liable to contain disease germs than that from 

 wells, because the water comes from house gutters, 

 where in dry weather many germs are carried by 

 the wind. Although many of these are killed by sun- 

 light, those that escape are carried into the cistern. 



Sewage a Source of Disease. Surface streams are 

 most to be feared. If they have passed close to 

 neighboring houses and their outbuildings, the 

 water should never be considered drinkable without 

 having first been boiled or filtered. Water may 



