The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-09-06


all are more or less exposed to infec-
tion and may become dangerous at any
time. The time it becomes dangerous
cannot be detected by the eye, and
may not be detected by laboratory
tests.
The earth acts as filter for all germs
that fall upon it, no matter what may
be their character. Only small per
cent. will pass through the first inch
Of soil, and very small number will
pass through the first ten feet. In the
first few feet OF soil most disease germs
are destroyed by the forms that inhabit
it, but should they pass further down
they are restrained only by the me-
chanical action of the earth. It, how
ever, a soil becomes saturated with
germs, as for example in barn yard,
or If the pollution is delivered below
the surface, as i'm cess vault, little
publication will take place, and the
germs may find their way into nearby
wells. In order to be certain of the
water supply, wells should pene
trate an impermeable layer of earth,
and the sides be perfectly sealed, as
with iron tubular forms, so that no
water can gain entrance except from
below. 4 tubular well twenty feet
deep is O much deeper well from q sani.
taTy standpoint than dug we'll of the
same depth. 1t is also true that shall.
low we'll may produce pure water at
one time and afterward become con.
taminated because OF the saturation OF
the soil with germs, either by the barn.
yard or vault.
A laboratory test Of waters from
various sources showed the presence of
bacteria in each cubic centimeter (about
a half thimble fulD, to be as follows:
Very filthy hogwallow, over two and
a half millions; ordinary hogwallow,
three quarters Of a million; Wabash
river above the city of La Fayette,
$4,000; below the city, over 100, 600;
clean looking pond. 10000; filthy
watering trough, 24s, 1000; common
stock trough, 5000; drain tile, 5000;
cisterns without filters, 5000; with
filters, 500; shallow wells, 42O, 900; deep
tubular wells, so to $50.
A test of soils at various depths
showed that each cubic centimeter Of
surface soil contained 618 400; one
inch below the surface, 81 200; two
inches deep. 2s,sOO; three inches, IL
600; six inches, 13.20O; eight inches,
5000; thirty inches, $500; fifty four
inches, 2,80O.
Tue bacteria ordinarily found in
water are not inj1rious, but the num-
Der present may always be taken as an
index of it's EMBELLISHMENTS. A
larger number indicates that it ia easy
for contamination TO occur, while a
smaller number may be accepted as
an evidence of difiulty for extraneous
germs to find entrance.
OF the different diseases of live stock
in the State, none produce greater loss
than hog eholerR.-For the year end
ing June 80, 1892, the loss was S99, 457
head, valued at S5, 1876, ,742. A careful
analysis of the statistics for each town
ship and State shows that the streams
play an important part in it's distribu
tion. In 1895, sixty townships border
ing upon the Wabash from Cass county
to it's mouth, show loss Of Is per cent
of the entire product, and forty seven
townships in the second tier show q
loss of 10 per cent. In 1896 the border
ing townships show loss Of 294 pei
cent. the second tier 203 per cent, and
the third tier Is per cent. In 1895
four townships bordering upon the
north folk of the White river lost
Il per cent. and forty two townships
in the second tier, 81 per cent. In 1896
the loss in the first tier of townships
was % per cent, in the second tier 151
per cent. and in the third tier u pei
cent. In other words, the losses in
the bordering tier of townships are
from 80 per cent. to 112 per cent greater
than in the second tier, and from Ss
per cent. TO 2O8 per cent. greater than
in the third tier.
An investigation made in 1895 and
1896 showed that the breeders of pure
bred swine. who escaped hog cholera,
nearly all used well water. Drs Sal.
mon and Smith came to this conclu.
sion in their investigation Of hog Chol'
era. Perhaps the most potent agents
in the distribution of hog cholera are
streams. They may become infected
with the specific germ when sick ami.
mails are permitted to go into them, OF
when dead animals or any part Of them
are thrown into the water. They may