THE IKRIGATION AGE. 



431 



WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS IN THE 

 FARM AND HOME 



By Mr. S. E. Brown.* 



One of the causes of dissatisfaction with farm life 

 as found by the commission appointed by Mr. Roosevelt 

 when president, was the lack of conveniences in the home. 

 It must be admitted that when compared with the con- 

 veniences found in the average city dwelling, the farm 

 home even of the well-to-do farmer show? badly. Labor 

 saving devices have been purchased for farm use to a very 

 great extent. The money invested for conveniences for 

 the home, however, is comparatively small. Fortunately 

 this state of affairs is changing and while a few years ago 

 one would possibly have found a sewing machine, wash- 

 ing machine, bread mixer and perhaps a few other ar- 

 ticles whose use lightened the labors of the housewife, it 

 is now not uncommon to find in addition to the above 

 mentioned articles, water systems, heating systems, light- 

 ing plants, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, fireless cook- 

 ers, etc. 



There can scarcely be any dissention to the state- 

 ment that of all the above mentioned items, the water 

 system stands first in its importance to family comfort 

 and welfare. The farmhouse with a pressure water sys- 



Kitchen. 



tern has all the advantages and sanitary conveniences of 

 the city home. A modern bathroom, kitchen, sink, hot 

 water tank, running water in the laundry, dairy and barn 

 are comforts and conveniences of far greater value to the 

 farmer than the small cost they represent. 



One great virtue of a pressure water system is that it 

 makes a modern bathroom possible. From a hygenic 

 standpoint the bathroom is an absolute necessity. The 

 conditions under which the average family on the farm 

 lived until recently would not be tolerated by a city fam- 

 ily. Of course one can have baths regardless of whether 

 there is a water pressure system or not. But the plain 

 fact is that bathing is neglected when it means the carry- 

 ing of water from well or cistern, heating it on the stove 

 and securing after all this effort a rather unsatisfactory 

 bath. When a man comes in from the field after a hard 

 day's toil, his body reeking with perspiration, dusty, tired, 

 exhausted, nothing is more refreshing and conducive to a 

 good night's rest than a pleasant, agreeable bath. It will 

 be taken, too when the only effort required is to turn on 

 the water. 



When the element of conveniences is considered it is 

 surprising that the farmer has so long permitted himself 

 and especially the women of his household to worry 

 along with the endless toil of water pumping and carry- 

 ing. It is the wife and daughters that usually suffer most. 

 Not only must water be carried for ordinary domestic 



purposes but on wash days when the work should be 

 lightened it is increased by the labor necessary to carry 

 tubful after tubful from cistern or well, frequently in in- 

 clement weather when the risks from exposure are great. 

 Contrast this with running water both hot and cold al- 

 ways on tap! The sum that would be invested in a new 

 implement to lessen the work on the farm should surely 

 not be considered exhorbitant to expend for equipment 

 that will put an end to all this needless drudgery. 



Water systems as now offered for private installation 



Bathroom. 



give ample opportunity for one to secure apparatus that 

 is dependable and that can be secured for a reasonable 

 outlay. One of the most popular types marketed is known 

 as the Fresh Water System, so called because with it 

 water is delivered "fresh" from the well to the faucet. 

 This system will always have preference where con- 

 venience and flexibility are given first consideration. It 

 is, in fact, the most modern method of water delivery 

 under pressure and gives service fully equal to and in most 

 cases surpassing that available in the city. For instance, 

 it is not at all infrequent to find these systems supply- 

 ing water from well or spring for drinking purposes; from 

 a cistern for domestic use, and from one or more addi- 

 tional wells for stock and general purpose use, and all 

 operated by only one power plant. This Fresh Water 

 System is available when the water does not have to be 

 elevated more than 100 feet and where the water is clean, 

 free from sand, grit and other impurities. 



These plants consists of an air compressor which 

 may be driven by a small gasoline engine or electric 

 motor, an air-tight steel tank for air storage and an auto- 

 pneumatic pump for each source of water supply. These 

 pumps consist of two small metallic chambers which are 



Courtesy of Fairbanks, Morse & Co. 



Laundry. 



submerged in the water. When a faucet is opened they 

 automatically fill and discharge due to the compressed air 

 pressure from the storage tank, thus giving a continuous 

 flow of water. In addition to the strong feature of water 

 being delivered fresh and cool an advantage of this system 

 is that since compressed air can be piped most any dis- 

 tance to the auto-pneumatic pump in the well without any 



