394 ARID AGRICULTURE. 



.DOMESTIC The second of our three essential elements 



of comfort is water. The first thing the new 

 farmer should do is to develop his water-supply. 

 If he has any money left, it may be put into 

 buildings and other things. Too many new 

 farmers leave this until the last, and haul water 

 so long that they use up more valuable effort and 

 time, many times over, than the first cost of a 

 home supply would amount to. No man should 

 begin to haul water if he can avoid it. Water is 

 a necessity to drink and an occasional rotation of 

 the water bath with the dust bath, in season, is 

 not altogether a luxury. Over most of the arid 

 region well water can be obtained. In many 

 sections there are artesian basins, and wherever 

 a deep well will secure a supply of water which 

 is uncontaminated with surface drainage or with 

 alkali, deep wells should be bored. Some scheme 

 for power pumping is generally an economy on 

 the farm. In much of the arid region there is 

 sufficient Avind movement to make windmills 

 practicable. In other places the gasoline or a 

 hot-air engine is more advisable. It requires a 

 comparatively small outlay to establish a pump 

 and power. Either a tank above ground or a 

 pressure tank underneath should be installed to 

 furnish a supply of running water, both in the 

 barn yard and in the house. With a pressure 

 tank the farmer can have his hot and coldwater 

 and bath in the house,, a sprinkler on the lawn, 

 and a supply of water on tap wherever needed. 



