Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1914-04-17

4. A safe disposal for farm sew
age.
The above features are described
in detail in the Department new
bulletin, which consists of 46 pages
and contains 3s figures and dia-
grams with a number of tables.
A pure water supply is one of the
most important factors in farm life
today, as typhoid fever, dysentery
and other disorders may be carried
by impure waters. Farm water sup
plies are very subject to pullution.
! or 70 typical water supplies in Min
nesota, Investigations showed that 20
were good and SO polluted. Twenty
five of those polluted were bad only
because of poor surface protection,
and could easily have been made
safe. Practically all the surface sup
plies were polluted. During these
Investigations 23 of the farms ex-
amined showed a record of typhoid
fever.
Surface water supplies should not
be used for household purposes, or
for washing milk cans. They should
not even be used for laundry pur-
poses unless no other supply is avail
able. Rain water from the roof is
often polluted by dust, leaves, and
the droppings from birds. Any per-
son who drinks water from surface
supplies endangers his health if such
supplies are not adequately protected
ard then purified.
Where underground waters are
hard to obtain, cisters may be used
where the store of rain water and
surface supplies will be filtered and
partially purified.
The cistern should be of water
tight construction, to prevent leak
age and to prevent pollution from
the neighboring soil. 1t should have
an overflow drain and tight cover.
There should also be suitable pro-
vision for straining or filtering the
water previous to its entrance to the
cistern.
Farm wells are often polluted
from local sources. They are often
located for convenience near the
barn or stable, or close to the back
door, out of which household Stops
are thrown. The soil surrounding
the we'll becomes saturated with or
ganic filth and allows the surface
water percolating through it to carry
its load of contamination into the
we'll.
The curbing or covering is often
loosely constructed of boards, per-
hitting small animals and vermin to
fall into the we'll; and surface water
carrying filth and manure, especial
ly after rains, runs into the we'll
from the top.
Both deep and shallow wells are
subject to contamination. OF 1T
deep and All shallow farm wells ex-
amined in Indiana, 116 of the deep
we'll waters were of good quality, As
were bad, and 16 were doubtful; 159
of the shallow well waters were
good, 200 were very bad, and 43 were
doubtful.
The safety of water supplies whea
near sources of possible surface
pollution often depends largely on
the character and quality of the ma
terial in which the we'll is sunk.
The farm well, especially a shall
low-dug we'll, should be located
somewhat above the barnyards, and
stock pens, at least in such a posi-
ton that the surface drainage from
all possible sources of contamination
is away from the we'll.
If local conditions and prices will
permit, it is a good idea to provide
impervious floors with water-tight
drains for farm buildings and stock
pens. Under the same conditions
concrete manure pits might we'll be
provided to not only prevent the
liquid manure from polluting the
neighboring soil, but to save the
manure. No garbage, manure, or
rubbish should be dumped into sinks
or basins in the immediate neighbor-
hood, and these should be fenced off
and kept free from polluting matter.
The house should be provided with
some safe method of sewage dispo-
sal, while Stops and garbage from the
kitchen should be deposited in tight
ly covered garbage cans and disposed
of by burying in the fields, burning,
or feeding to pigs. The use of privy
vaults and teaching or OVERLOOKING
| cesspools should be absolutely avoid
ed, since they are likely to be sources
of the worst contamination. The
farmer should become acquainted
with the various types of wells and
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