72 HOME LIFE IN FLORIDA. 



Generally, Florida wells are cased with yellow pine 

 boards, because they are every where obtainable; but 

 where other material can be procured w^e would strongly 

 advise against this. 



The objections are, first, non-durability ; every three or 

 four years a new casing is required, the boards rotting 

 away ; and if not carefully watched, or repairs are post- 

 poned, a heavy shower is apt to ' ' cave in " the well. 



Sometimes the rotting of the casing is so complete and 

 sudden that nothing can be done except to fill in the well 

 and make a new one elsewhere. 



The pine boards generally used are not heavy enough ; 

 that is the chief trouble ; instead of half or three quarters 

 of an inch, let them be at least two inches thick, and then, 

 if they must be employed in the absence of preferable 

 material, they will at least last long enough to pay for the 

 work done on them. 



The second objection is, fortunately, one that does not 

 continue very long, not over a month or two, if the 

 well is emptied of its water two or three times in this 

 interval ; we refer to the taste of the turpentine in 

 the yellow pine, which, until it has all passed out into 

 the water, causes the latter to foam and to taste and 

 smell decidedly unpleasant ; this is true, however, in a 

 much lessened degree where the lumber used has been 

 seasoned by exposure to wdnd and water for some weeks 

 or months. 



But where lumber just sawed is employed, as is usually 

 the case, it will shorten the turpentine period greatly if 

 the boards as soon as received are immersed in the waters 

 of a lake or stream (one or the other is most likely to be 

 at hand), and left there for several days, or longer if pos- 

 sible; a large portion of the turpentine taste and odor 

 will be got rid of in this way. 



