The Winslow mail., 1914-05-16

needed. The United States department of agri-
culture has just issued bulletin giving de-
tailed description of simple sanitary system
suitable for the average farm home. 1t will be
sent free to any farmer on application
The bulletin is the result of a careful
study. Convenience, comfort and economy have
all been considered and they may all be obtained
if the suggestions given practically applied
with care and common sense. If the farmer has
neither the time nor skill to install the simple
system suggested, reliable plumber, a pump
expert or sanitary engineer should be employed
to install system along similar lines
The simple sanitary system recommended has
four distinct features. 1t provides for:
/. A pure water supply.
2. Pumping, storage and distribution of water
supply.
). A durable and simple plumbing system
4, safe disposal for farm sewage.
The above features described in detail in
the departments bulletin which consists of
46 pages and contains 38 figures and diagrams,
with a number of tables.
pure water supply is of the most i'm
portant factors in farm life today, as typhoid
fever, dysentery and other disorders may be
ried by impure waters Farm water supplies are
very subject to pollution. OF 70 typical water
supplies in Minnesota, Investigations showed
that 20 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 supplies
were polluted. During these investigations % Of
the farms examined showed a record Of typhoid
fever.
Surface water supplies should not be used for
household purposes or for washing milk
They should not be used for laundry pur-
poses unless other supply is available. 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 en-
dangers his health if such supplies are not ade
quately protected and then purified.
Where underground waters hard to obtain
cisterns may be used where the store of rain
water and surface supplies will be uttered and
partially purified
The cistern should be of water-tight construc
ton to prevent leakage and to prevent pollution
from the neighboring soil. 1t should have an
overflow drain and a tight cover. There should
also be suitable provision for straining or filter
ing the water previous to its entrance to the els
tern.
Farm wells often polluted from local
sources. They are often located for convenience
near the barn stable, close to the back
door, out of which household slops are thrown.
The soil surrounding the we'll becomes saturated
with organic filth and allows the surface water
percoating through it to carry its load of con-
tamination into the well.
The curbing or covering is often loosely
structed of boards, permitting small animals and
vermin to fall into the WE'LL and surface water
carrying filth and manure, especially after rains,
runs into the well from the top
Both deep and shallow wells subject to
contamination Of TT deep and All shallow farm
wells examined in Indiana, 116 of the deep we'll
waters of good quality As were bad and 16
were doubtful 159 of the shallow well waters
were good, 209 were very bad and 43 were doubt
full
The safety of water supplies when sources
of possible surface pollution often depends large
Iy on the character and quality of the material
in which the well is sunk
The farm WELL especially shallow dug well,
should be located somewhat above the barn
yards and stock pens, at least in such position