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 
erass-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 the 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 asif 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. 
