The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-01-15

- same truth applies to wells on
zsAzM the farm. The family that
HN1ENENHNESE uses a well spring subjecr
AES<SezySSSIH to contamination is almost
&Fsz= surely destined taste the
dregs of sorrow and suffering
for having drunk its disease-laden output. In
VeStigatiOns made by the United States DEPART
ment Of agriculture indicate that only a small
minority of farm-water supplies can be classed
as unquali6ediy safe and desirable. On the aver
age three out of four wells are located with
an 20 feet of back door of the house and in
the direction of the barnyard.
That convenience and first cost, not safety
have been the deciding factors in such cases is
made evident by the of barnyards pig
pens, pastures, fortified fields sink drains priv
les, cesspoOls, and areas rendered insanitary by
chickens, Stops, and other filth. Too frequently
the seepage from these and other sources after
Joining the ground water. to wells and
springs, impairing the water supply by -impurity
and may be grossly poisonous
Sewage Disposal.
Popular Indifference to the effective disposal
OF sewage has existed so long and so universally
that only within comparatively recent years has
1t been realized that this waste product of hui
man life Is poisonous and must be kept from the
food and drink of man. From the specific germs
or poison that may be carried in sewage at any
time there may result typhoid fever, tuberculO-
sis, hOOkwOrm disease, cholera, dysentery diar-
rhea, other ailments, and It is not improbable
that certain obscure maladies may be traced event
ually to the poisonous effects OF drainage from
man waste The poison Is Invisible to the naked
eye and 1t may be carried by many agencies, by
devious routes, and be unsuspectingly received
into the human body. Typhoid fever is peculiarly
rural disease, and many instances clearly indi-
cate serious neglect of responsibility with regard
TO sanitation by people who live in the country.
Not to dispose OF sewage promptly invites null
sance, but not to dispose Of sewage Clearly and
completely invites disease. 1t is not enough that
human filth is taken so. Is. 100. $50 feet
away from a well spring, or that it is
taken merely to lower ground. Given loose or
open subsoil, seamy ledge. Ong-cOntinued pollu-
ton Of plat OF ground, the zone of contamina-
ton Is likely to extend and readily may reach
quite distant wells, especially at such times us
wei waters lowered by drought or heavy
pumping. Whatever the system of sewage dis
poSai, 1t should be entirely and widely sepa-
rated from the water supply and, If possible
the surface Of the sewage in any leaky privy,
vault or ceSspOOl should be lower than the low
est water in any nearby we'll. The United
States department Of agriculture has prepared
bulletin No. Up. from it's 1916 Yearbook emit
tied Sewage Disposal on the Farm" which gives
details regarding various types OF outhOuses sug-
geStiOns regarding plumbing cesspools septic
tanks and related subjects This pamphlet will
be mailed free request.
Pure Water the Need.
One of the first and obvious needs of Ameri-
can farms Is pure water supply. From the
standpoint of the housewife second only in I'M
portance to purity, is the installation of water
system in the farm house that will save labor
Continued pumping will not improve water in
well If the sources which feed it are permanent
ly at fault Wells cannot be located in all cases
TO be wholly free from pollution. but the graft
est safeguards clean ground. and as wide sep
aratiOns as possible from the probable channels
OF impure drainage.
Water for domestic should be clean. lus
frOus. Ocorless. cOlOrieSS, wholesome soft neither
strongly acid alkaline, and it's temperature
Tor general farm purposes should be about 80 de-
grees. These characteristics. however are never
proof Of purity for glass of water may pos
them all and yet contain millions Of disease
producing germs,
Ground water is the ideal supply for the
farm. Any farmer who is about to have deep
we'll, and who is uncertain Of the depth and guam
tity quality of the water likely to be encoun-
tered. should describe fully the location and con-
dtion Of his project to national state geologi-
cal authorities and ask for advice. The use oe