MADISON COUNTY, 427 



The lands of the second and third divisions, as might be judged from 

 their constitution, are excellently adapted to the production of corn and 

 other cereals and are coming to be used for grain-growing as well as for 

 grass-growing. The varied elements of our ordinary American farming 

 are thus becoming established here as elsewhere. 



WATER SUPPLY. 



The last point to be taken up in i he geology of the county is its nat- 

 ural water supply. 



Madison county may be said to have an abundant and excellent sup- 

 ply, but it does not show itself in the ordinary modes, in springs and fre- 

 quent water-courses. The supply, indeed, is under ground and must, for 

 the most part, be brought to the surface by artificial means. The or- 

 dinary rain-fall of central Ohio being granted, the geological conditions 

 already described, necessitate an immense accumulation of water beneath 

 the surface. Such an accumlation, we find, lying within easy reach. 

 The surface of the bowlder clay is a common water bearer, though many 

 wells descend into the clay to some of the irregular veins of sand and 

 gravel to which reference has already been made. The porous beds 

 above the bowlder clay, varying in thickness from five to fifteen feet, 

 constitute an efficient filter for the surface water in most instances. 



It must be remarked, however, that all of the dangers pertaining to 

 such a supply show themselves here. The drift-beds are freely per- 

 meable. They have no power to shut out the products of surface defile- 

 ment or to prevent cess-pools and other sinks of impurity from discharg- 

 ing their offensive and poisonous drainage into adjacent wells and springs. 

 There is abundant and positive proof that drinking-water contaminated 

 from such sources, is very often made the medium for distributing fever 

 and pestilence through families and neighborhoods. 



Of late years, the agency of the wind has been quite extensively 

 utilized in pumping water from wells into reservoirs for the use of stock. 

 The wind-pumps have been improved in so many ingenious ways that 

 they work almost as if they were intelligent agents, matching supply with 

 demand and adjusting themselves to the force of the wind. 



The common method, however, of providing stock-water in those farms 

 which are not traversed by living streams, is by means of pools which 

 obtain their supply directly and entirely from surface accumulations of 

 rain. The water of such pools is always foul with mud and manure and 

 is heavily charged with vegetable and animal organisms in every stage 

 of existence and decay, and yet it is claimed to be a safe and wholesome 

 supply. 



