The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-08

lived where the water of the Berkahirs
Hills was excellent and health pre-
vailed; later for seven years I lived in
the C%arolinas, where the water was
much warmer, impure and fevera OF
malarial character prevailed to a great
extent. These facts we're SO impressed
on my mind that on settling on the
land [ nov occupy I chose a high piece
OF table land, remote from low grounds
which was tho only place where springs
were found in this part of Wisconsin.
On digging for water. / expected to
ind water as soon or sooner than T
would on low grounds, but the rule az
the Berkshire hills did not work. I
found rock at twenty feet, the digging
of which I was unacquainted with and
spent two years getting out twelve feet
Of On s rock; in the meantime getting
my water supply from aspiring nearly
a mile distant. Drilling for water at that
time $50 years ago) time was compare.
lively unknown. / happened in conn
pany with a man who had drilled for
salt in West Virginia who gave me the
shape of the drill bit, or cutting part
which vas used. Throwing aside the
balance of tools used as being entirely
too expensive, with the aid Of q black
smith I made the tools with which we
p%unc5ured a four inch hole in the rock
seventy eight feet deep in about twelve
days-depth in all one hunred and ten
feet with ten feet of water, which has
qeen my main source of water supply
since that time. The tools for the
drilling in question cost me nearly $50,
and did good service for the neighbors
afterwards. Tools for the same pur-
pose now cost up in the thousands.
Having much experience in this line,
I was consulted as to getting water in
a locality where permanent water was
found in some forty TO fifty feet with
out rock or stone in the locality to
at n up the walls. I advised walling
up the first four feet solidly with stona
or brick, using cement for mortar, after
that to excavRte six feet, and then to
cement the upper three feet of this SIX
feet, excavate three feet more and
cement above, in which manner con-
tinue to water, the cementing TO be
done as usually done in cisserns. This
was tried, but on reaching sand the
swell digger objected for danger Of
caving; he was, however, induced to
proceed carefully, whitewashing with
cement, until enough was excavated
for cemenGing. This plan Of white
washing with cement has proved ample
protection from caving in sand and
loose gravel in all and numerous Casea
since that time. The first we'll Of this
kind was put down at Colby, Clark
county, Wisconsin, fourteen years ago
by Q. E Cummings, who was greatly
ridiculed for sometime with Gum
mings, has your we'll caved in yet3'
At this time this we'll appears as per-
feet al when first put down. apparently
good for ages to come. This we'll is
thirty two inches in diameter; the first
fifteen feet was hard digging, the bal
ance loose sand and put down in the
manner above stated until water was
reached at forty feet, when a tub was
sunk four feet, proving a continuous
supply of water to this time. Several
wells have been put down sinCe-one
over sixty fetal a perfect success.
Two men will ordinarily complete ten
feet in a day. If water fails, the we'll
can be lowered until water is again
found without taking out the ''stoning
up" or danger OF caving wallis. If you
please, you can make it angle worm
proof and also perfectly secure from
impure drainage. In draining marshes
we ind a tile drain three feet deep
drains three rods each side of it, and
the deeper the tile is laid the farther it
will drain. IL that is true, and we
know it is, how far will a we'll 1fty
feet or more drain7 The principle ia
the same. In many localities we bear
of intermitant and .remitant levers. In
Wisconsin we seldom hear OF these
fevers, but we do hear of the deadly
typhoid and other diseases caused by
impure water. The doctor comes;
almost the first thing he looks after and
inquiries about is the source and purity
of the water used. The learned DR..
Boudith, Of Massachusetts,, is reported
as excavating a deep trench around
several privy vaults and in every in
stance he found on the side towards
the wells a dark, discolored streak run
ming towards the wells. Shocking TO
think of it, particularly in cittesl
The cemented well may not be abso-
Lutte proof against all impure drainage,