The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-17

H%N EARNOA@NAR4AT NJ AkG AAAGtAtAt 1AAA 49,
venting the waste OF money for use
less or worse than useless products.
! But now let Vi turn our attention to
more pleasant lines of our work, and
we may consider first our water sup
ply.
Water Supply.
In the eastern states, New York and
the middle west where the rainfall is
two OF three times that for North Da@
kota. the question or the character Of
the water supply ia quite different than
thai presented to us in this state. In
New York as fast as soluble salts are
formed In R~ppreciative quantity, the
heavy rainfall on the lighter soil
washes these salts into the rivers and
on to the ocean, but with us there is
an accumulation in the soil for there
is no enough Of rain to wash these out
OF the soil, hence, we have aIkali
ance OF mineral salts, such as common
salt, Glaubers salts. Epson salts and
Halkali or sodium bicarbOnate.
Naturally. therefore, as soon as 81
well is sunk In such q region the salts
are washed from the soil into the well
water, accommodating there, and then
our troubles begin. Many an animal,
as well as man, suffers in health from
drinking such water.
"a water containing as much as 1000
parts g 1000, 900 of total solids is not
q good water for man, especially where
there is any tendency towards kidney
troubles, dyspepsia or stomach trouble
in any form. Such is not a ft water
Tor the young child, infant, or for O.
person just convalescing from q fever.
And vet, there are many waters be-
Ing used with fully 1000 to 1000 parts
per 100000 OF this class Of solids.
Animals that are forced to depend up
on a water supply containing from
1000 to 5000 parts per 1000, 000 of to-
tai solids will suffer, will not thrive
well even though well fed, and if the
solids Of the water happen to be made
up largely OF Glaubers salts and alkali,
or sodium ~bicarbonate. you may lose
many an animal IL forced to drink nom
tinu0usly of this water during the win
ter months. The injury may not be SO
noticeable in the summer when the
animals may secure a part OF the nee
essary moisture from the green grass,
vet we have waters with not only
5000 to 5000 per 100000 Of solids,
but many contain as high as 10000 to
3 1000 parts per 100000 total solids.
Let me cite a few examples of injury
TO animals to point out what I mean.
A farmer whose horses had been wa
tered at a creek nearly a mile away
for years. had no trouble and his
horses were always in good condition.
For convenience he sunk an artesian
well and thereafter the horses We're
supplied water from this well, but he
reports that there was nearly always
among his thirty horses one or more
in the stable suffering from collie, re-
quiring not infrequently medical at
tendance. An examination of the wa
ter showed that the horses were taxi
ing OK Chambers salts alone, besides al
EnAt If q 1aH ENfhAR go N&m 4Aww-E AnwAAAN NAA
day, assuming that the horses drank
the average amount of water. Four
ounces Of Glaubers Salts is 1t any
wonder that about once in two to four
weeks the system rebeIIed and nature
tried to recuperate itself, that the
horses suffered from collie and illness
and did not thrive well? Putting the
horses on the former supply OF water
the difficulty soon disappeared.
Another farmer with a herd Of mules
fed them well during the winter
months, with plenty of good hay and
grain and still the mules grew thin,
rough-coated and weak, and were con-
stantly being treated by a veterinarian,
who at last suggested that the dificul-
ty must be with the water supply. AL
ready several of the mules had died.
An analysis OF the water revealed a
condition not unlike that already de-
scrl1ed. A farmer who spent his sum-
mers in North Dakota and winters In
Ohio, as have too many of our farmers
in times past, stated that the North
Dakota climate did not agree with him
and that after spending the SUMMER in
n state he found his health broken
down in the fall. his kideys affected,
digestion impaired, but it was not the
North Dakota climate but the water
which he drank, charged with alkali
and EPSON salts but clear and spark
ling.
Changing the supply Of. water re-
suited In Immediate Improvement in
health, and for this man the North Da-
kota climate became superior to that
of Ohio. I might cite innumerable
cases OF like nature for man and beast.
1t is we'll, therefore, that we know OF
what u water supply is composed,
especially where animals are no thriv-
ing well, or where members OF the
family are in i'll health.
Constant drinKingN Of a water may
lead n to accustonh oneself to it so
that its i'll effects upon the health are
not noticed; n what one person may
be able to stand in mineral salts in
water may be altogether too heavy for
another member of the family.
We have, therefore, analysed at the
college on the average nearly two sam
pies per day for the past four years;
such waters being sent in by the farm
ers from the different parts OF the
state, and, therefore, we believe that
the work done in the examination Of
the water supply of North Dakota has
been q means of saving the health of
the farmer and of improving the con-
dition of his animals where he found
them suffering from Ill effects OF what
before was an obscure case upon his
farm.
ooll x,o,,. a+4rr+;on xh -
in order that you may give some
thought to the question OF the water
supply both for the home and for the
farm stock. Neither should we forget
that one of the chief means of spread
ing typhoid fever Is through the water
supply. Wells are SO located that they
receive the drainage from the barns,
yards. the privy vaults, or the Stops
from the house, and gradually the soil
becomes filled with this material which
drains into the well to contaminate the
water.
During the past year many wells, es-
pecially in the smaller towns, have
been found to show sewage contaminaA
ton, and undoubtedly, were In many
cases the means Of Spreading typhoid
fever. With greater care n pr0tec-
tton OF the water supply there isNiittle
need Of the typhoid fever now preva-
lent even In the rural sections, for it
Is in the rural sections and small
towns that typhoid fever is most
largely contracted and. in the majority
or cases. from the water supply.
I might also consider the work done
by the department for the people OF
the state with regard to a study 0f the
soils OF the state as to their chemical
composition, the presence of fertilizing
elements, the condition of the humus
in the soil and its relation to plant