HEALTH. 71 



Boiling, however, is not the only way to treat this class 

 of waters ; stir into a tubful of it a little slaked lime, and 

 allow it to settle ; in ten or twelve hours, perhaps less, 

 there will be a white deposit at the bottom of the tub, and 

 the water will be almost as soft as rain-water. How and 

 why? Because the lime you added combined with the 

 free carbonic-acid gas and destroyed it, and then the car- 

 bonate, being insoluble in w^ater without the presence of 

 this gas, was precipitated to the bottom of the tub. 



Where hard water is encountered, either in Florida 

 or elsewhere, these simple tests will prove which sort 

 it is, and if they render the water soft, the well owner 

 may rejoice in having the less intractable servant of the 

 two. 



Some scientists aver that rain-water is the only safe 

 water to use any where, and even that only after being 

 filtered ; this is doubtless true in part, that is, as regards 

 some sections of country, but it does not apply to Florida 

 as a rule, although in a few exceptional cases it maybe 

 found the safest to use for drinking purposes. 



Almost all over the State, however, the chief supply is 

 obtained from wells, and purer, more crystal-like water no 

 one need wish for. 



As to the depth at which it will be found, that depends 

 entirely upon circumstances, whether the spot selected for 

 the well lies much higher than the level of the surround- 

 ing country, or lower, or whether dug in the wet or dry 

 season. 



It is always better, when possible, to have it sunk to- 

 ward the end of the latter, or winter season, as then the 

 water is at its lowest level, and the maximum depth of the 

 well can be reached at once ; otherwise several deepenings 

 will be necessary, or the well will "go dry" as the waters 

 recede in the lakes and streams. 



