The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-12-12
PURE WATER.
Its Necessity In the Cultivation.Of sound
Healthy Vegetables.

C0A1AS hOSceANAcSs
1t has been said by great chemist
that the leaves are the lungs of trees
and plants. They are even more than
lungs; they are both lungs and
stomach. It follows that if the leaves
and roots Of trees and garden Teget-
ables are watered with water contain-
ing poisonous substances, the whole
body Of the plant, tree, root, OF stem
is liable TO become poisonous if used
as food. It is well known among
florists that mixing dyes with watef
poured around the roots of Towering
plants and shrubs viii speedily change
the hue Of the flowers; showing that
the dyes afe taken up In sap and car
ried to the remotest parts Of the rose
bush, geranium plant, or any other to
which they are applied. In this con-
nection the following from the Gin
cinnati Enquirer of a late date will be
interesting in a sanitary view of the
matter of clean water for irrigating
uses: There is considerable COM
plant from residents of Spring GROVE
avenue concerning the methods Of the
gardeners whose plots deck the entire
Mill Greek Valley: Their gardens SEEM
to be in flourishing condition, but
they water their plants with the yilest
refuse; which creates an abominable
stencil: The offal of tanneries, distilleries
and starch factories is used in place of
pure water. The simple reas6n is that
this stuff can be obtained from the
neighboring manufactures with less
trouble than the water can be carted.
To show how poisonous it is it is only
necessary to state that when Quantity
of it has been turned into the canal the
fishes would Immediately turn over and
come to the surface dead. Washer
women who have attempted to use ca
nal water into which the poisonous re
fuse was turned could notuse it because
it took the skin off their hands and
arms. Yet this il the sai1ie ffiattef the
bottom gardeners pour on the Vegeta-
bleS which stock the Cincinnati mar
ket: The question arises: If this 6ffal is
so vile that nothing animate can exist
in water tinctured with it, what effect
will it have on the plants which the
people eat dailyF" Prof E. S. Wayne,
q noted chemist, says that he has exper-
imented for two years on vegetables over
which arsenic and Paris green had been
spread to kill insects. He found tur-
nips grown under these circumstances
impregnated with arsenic, but could not
find that potatoes were affected in the
same manner. If tuFnips will alb
sorb the poison, it Is not tlflrea;
sonable to suppose that radishes and
onions will. Lettuce grown where tho
slop watering is practiced must neces-
Sarily be unwholesome, as the obnoxious
b1atter is poured directly on the tender
leaves. 1f hogs afe fhttened largely. on
fish; their flesh when cooked smells like
fish and tastes like fish and is not good.
If ducks and hens are fed much fish
their eggs are not so GOOD and fire.
quently taste fishy. If you desire good
milk you must be careful and see that
your COW, has clean food and pure
water, and SO with your poultry and to
a certain extent so with y0tf hogs' and
to have pure vegetables the ingredients
with which they are fed and which enter
into their composition must be com.
paratively pure and free from poisonous
MATTER This is a matter that calls for
more attention than 1t has received at
the hands of those caring for stock Or
growing garden vegetables. Pure feed
makes pure butter, pork, poultry and
vegetables. Vick's Magazine truly says
that. as a people, we have taken only
CUR first lessons in ornamental garden
ing, and few know hew much of beauty
and enjoyment is in store for thefh and
their children in the wealth of trees and
shrubs and Towering plants at their
command.-S0n Francisco Chronicle.