34 DAIRYING 



716. The Water Supply. Deep well water is usually pure 

 and cold and when pumped by farm engine of some sort into a 

 clean tank that is not too large or inaccessible, it makes a satis- 

 factory water supply. Spring water piped to the stable or forced 

 by a water-ram is an exceptional source of supply, but a good 

 one when possible. 



The city or town water supply may sometimes be piped to a 

 cow stable and thus solve this question for some dairies, but such 

 water is likely to be expensive and considerable warmer in the 

 summer season than water from a deep well on the farm. 



Pond, lake or river water is seldom safe because of the prob- 

 able pollution from surface drainage. Cows should not have 

 access to any quiet, shady pond or pool of water. Such a com- 

 bination may make an artistic picture and look as if the cows 

 were extremely comfortable, but they produce human food and 

 wading in the mud usually necessary for getting into a body of 

 open water will contaminate the milk in at least two ways ; First, 

 by the dirt and mud that sticks to the cow's legs and udder and 

 second, "by drinking the foul water which the cow herself has 

 polluted. 



Drinking water for the cows is best supplied either by means 

 of a clean tank in the dry cow yard, or by filling the cement 

 manger in front of the cows with clean water some time during 

 the day. Such a manger can be easily cleaned, but the small, 

 stationary box, sometimes provided for each cow and filled with 

 water occasionally, is a filthy way of making cows drink stale 

 water. Watering the cows once a day in the cement mangers and 

 once in the tank in the barn yard has been found to be a good 

 practice. 



717. Amount of Light Needed in the Stable. The destruc- 

 tive effect of direct sunlight on tuberculosis- and other germs is 

 sufficient ground for providing an abundance of daylight in a 

 cow stable. There are other beneficial effects of light on both the 

 cows and the persons who care for them, but this one, the germi- 

 cidal power of light, is of the first importance. A dark corner or 

 a dim basement is a dangerous place in which to keep animals 

 that are to be used for food or that produce food such as pork, 



