Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-06-01
Pure Water for Stock.

While every man owning or keeping
animals recognizes the importance of pro
viding them with a plentiful supply OF
water, there are many who pay little at
tention to its purity. A pond or stagnant
pool which receives the drainage or sur.
face water from the higher surrounding
fields is far too frequently considered
good enough for farm stock. In some in.
stances il is good and pure enough, espe.
cially if the pond Is Of extended area and
deep, and at the same time receives con
slant additions from subtcrranean springs.
But we have seen hundreds OF such rescr-
voirs which were little better than mud
holes during the greater part OF the sum.
mer. being filthy in the extreme, and the
water warm and alive with animalCules
and low fungoid species Of plants; but
they served 10 supply liquid with which
many a noble animal was compelled to
quench its thirst Is ii any wonder that
stock drinking from such ponds should
be affected with various kinds Of fevers,
or that contagious diseases should be
generated in these pools OF filth!
We are well aware how difficult 1T Is to
find pure water by digging wells, espe-
cially on some of the prairies and higher
plains of the West, and that even 10 de-
pend upon some of the larger creeks and
rivers for supply of pure water is little
better than 10 use the kind Of ponds we
have described. But il is not necessary 10
particularize as 10 localities or regions
of country which arc well or poorly sup
piled with water, as it is sufficient To say
that stagnant ponds or streams, which
come so near drying up in summer that
i f.,pd a1nnr THAR HaIg N
small sink holes and puddles, are not
healthy sources from which farm stock
should obtain water 10 drink. Water that
is unfit for the use OF man is also unit Tor
his animals; and we would have every
breeder look at the subject In just this
light and no other. When all do this,
there will be less complaint OF diseases
which are only too well known IL local.
ties and upon farms where the supply OF
pure water is limited.
The farmer who is so fortunate as 10 be
able to obtain a supply of pure water from
springs, lakes, or rivers, will of course
have no need of seeking artificial meth
DDS. But there are only comparatively
small number of farmers who are thus
favored, and wells and cisterns must be
made TO take the place OF natures reser-
vOirs. If one does not have 10 dig too
deep to strike water, wells are the most
economical; but if veins are only to be
reached at great depths, then cisterns are
preferable and the cheapest. In all dry
soils of moderately compact nature, no
stone or brick walls will be required in
making cisterns of moderate size, say OF a
capacity of thirty TO fifty barrels each.
The hydraulic lime, or cement, as It IL
usually called, when mixed with coarse
gravel and spread directly upon the earth,
will make a sufficiently strong and dura-
Bile wall for cistern. The top of such
cisterns may be covered with plank or
timber split out roughly from large trees
and then banked over with earth to pre-
vent freezing.
Cisterns can be made very cheap In this
manner, and distributed about among The
various farm buildings, where they Will
he more convenient than one very large
one, placed near the barn or dwelling
house. We have found cisterns OF mod.
crate size, say Of thirty 10 forty barrels ca
pacity, so distributed, not only very con
vepient rccepiacles OF water, but less la
Bile to get out OF order than those OF a
larger size. Then, in case leak docs oc-
cur in one, the supply Of rain water - moi
entirely cut off, as II might be u we had
but single very large one. Water kcpt
in cisterns under ground will be cool and
sweet when that in stagnant pool ex-