The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-10-08
THE
WATER ON THE FARM.

Hardly second in Importance to
plenty of good feed is an abundant sup.
ply of pure water on the farm where
dairying is a leading industry. Be the
feed ever so abundant and the supply
of water scant OF poor, and the cows
cannot do their best.
Cows giving milk need a large amount
OF water, as any farmer will notice
when undertaking to make up a supply
when from any cause there is a de
ficiency.
1t is needed in the pasture in summer
and at the barn or neal by in winter.
It is bad to be short in supply in sum
mer, but a little worse in winter when
it is usually so much more difficult re-
pairing water lines or obtaining a new
supply.
1t will pay the farmer to be at some
expense to obtain a go d supply of
water for the farm. Of course that
from a running spring is the best and
the most reliable, if it can be had In
the more billy parts of our country
this is gener ally the case, but the
springs are not always located where
they can be made available, at least
without more or less expense. But
with a little management this difficulty
can often be overcome.
In the pastures the water from
springs should be conveyed to tanks
where the animals can drink readily
without communicating it, as would
otherwise be the case.
Some farms are provided with water
from brooks, rivers or ponds, alway S
furnishing a sufficient supply, but
these are in small proportion, and the
water not always as good as that from
running springs.
On some farms where there are no
available springs, water can be obtained
by laying tile In wet ground of proper
conformation, 20 as to conduct tbs
w~ateFHInto a~ressegrVoir or tank, thus
securing two objects, the drainage of
the land and a supply of water. A
~neighboring farmer has this arrange
ment in operation.
A few years since another neighbOr
obtained an abundant supply of water
that for many years had flowed under
ground undiscovered. Of purse this
supply came from a springy formation,
but the query is. why was it not found
before9 At little expense it was con-
Veyed into a ~capacious tank, a shelter
built owe it, and being only a short
distance from the barn is considered a
valued acquisition to the farm.
On the farm of the writer, that does
not contain a living surface spring, a
year ago last spring a little pool of
pure cold water was founo on the sur
face of the ground, beside a large stone
in the pasture.
A shallow we'll was dug into which
the water made its way and was con
veyed down the hill a few rods into a
trough. This comes very near being
living water. In some of these ways |
water may often be obtained.
Again there may be excellent springs |
but located where they cannot be
made available, at least without a good
deal of management and expense. |
With a spring OIL reservoir affording a
sufficient supply Of water with a few
feet of fall direct from the spring, water
can be carried a long distance and up !
a considerable incline by means of a |
hydraulic ram. This can be SUCCESS
fully done when the conditions are !
right, but the matter should be care |
fully considered before making the at !
tempt.
In many parts of the country, par
ticularly at the West, recourse is had
to wells with wind mills for pumping
the water. This method is also con-
siderably practiced in Vermont, in
Grand Isle Co. and the Champlain
valley. This power can be also used
for pumping water a considerable dis
tance, and in some cases may be prefer
able to the hydraulic ram.
A farmer years ago in Addison Go.
hit upon an ingenious method for sup
plying his building with running water
from a we'll. There was a hill of ledgy
formation directly back of his build
ings, and from the top of this he had a
well bored, 1 think 100 feet deep, which
afforded a good supply of water. He
then built a large reservoir under
ground near the well, sufficient to hold
water for a weeks use. This was filled
by means of a wind mill, which would
only be kept running @hen needed for
this purpose. From this reservoir