THE FARM WATER SUPPLY Si 



In many instances, reasonable care of the surroundings of 

 the well would remove all danger from disease by the pollu- 

 tion of the water. Privy-vaults should be made water-tight, 

 well ventilated, and frequently supplied with dry earth. Na- 

 ture has provided an abundance of micro-organisms in feces 

 and in soil that with plenty of air and little moisture will rap- 

 idlv change all soluble organic matter into harmless gases to be 

 dissipated in the atmosphere. The sink-drain should be car- 

 ried as far as practicable from the house to a lower level than 

 the bottom of the well if possible, and discharged upon the 

 surface of the ground. The sun will help disinfect the sewage 

 and if rank plants are encouraged to grow on the spot during 

 the summer, there will be little percolation to the ground-water. 



A cess-pool should never be used in the vicinity of any well 

 or spring; a pit in the earth, from which the water, saturated 

 with soluble filth, slowly seeps away, furnishes practically no 

 chance for the purification by the soil organisms, because they 

 act weakly or not at all, at depths of two to three yards below 

 the surface of the earth. 



The economical handling of manure and garbage by com- 

 posting in cemented cellars or sheds, where leachings cannot 

 escape, will prove both pecuniarily and healthfully superior to 

 the careless treatment usually given those substances. 



On many farms a supply of water can be obtained from a 

 source remote from any danger of contamination, and the sub- 

 stitution of such a source for the farm-well is the best means 

 of receiving good water. When a spring is lower than the 

 farm-buildings, careful attention should be paid to the direction 

 in which the drainage from them would naturallv flow. A 

 pond or stream is seldom suitable for a family supply because 

 its drainage-basin is usually beyond the control of any single 

 farm. A tight cistern connected with clean roofs furnishes a 

 safe source of supply if the cistern is kept clean. 



For more details of the disposal of sewage on the farm and 

 the care of a water supply, the reader is referred to Fariners' 

 Bulletin^ No. 4J^ Sezvage Disposal on the Farin^ which may 

 be obtained by addressing the Secretary of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. 



