The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-01-16

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 farmwater supplies be classed
as unqualihedly safe and desirable. On the aver
age three out of four farm wells located with
in 70 feet Of a 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 nearness of barnyards pig
pens, pastures fortified fields, sink drains priv
les, cesspools. and areas rendered insantary by
Chickens Stops and other filth. Too frequently
the seepage from these and other sources. after
joining the ground water, moves to wells and
springs imparing the water supply by impurty,
and may be grossly poisonous.
Sewage Disposal.
Popular Indifference to the effective disposal
of sewage has existed long and universally
that only within comparatively recent years has
it 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 dar
rhea, or other ailments, and 1t is not improbable
that certain obscure maadies may be traced event
ually to the poisonous effects of drainage from hui
waste. The poison is invisible to the naked
eye, and it may be carried by many agencies, by
devious routes, and be unsuspectingly received
into the human body. Typhoid fever is peculiarly
a 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 nui-
sance. but not to dispose of sewage Clearly and
completely invites disease. 1t is not enough that
human filth is taken So rs, 100, or $50 feet
away from well spring, that 1t Is
taken merely to lower ground Given loose
open subsoil, seamy ledge or ong-continued pou-
ton of plat of ground the of contamina
ton Is likely to extend and readily may reach
quite distant wells, especially at such times ~
well waters lowered by drought heavy
I pumping. Whatever the system Of sewage dis
| posal, it should be entirely and widely sepa-
rated from the water supply, and, If possible,
| the surface of the sewage in any leaky privy,
vault cesspoo should be lower than the low
est water in any nearby well. The United
| States department of agriculture has prepared
bulletin No. 10, from its 1916 Yearbook enti-
| tied Sewage Disposal on the Farm" which gives
details regarding various types of outhouses sug-
| gestons 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 Amerl-
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
a well If the sources which feed it permanent
ly ut fault. Wells cannot be located in all cases
to be wholly free from pollution but the great
est safeguards clean ground and as wide sep
arations possible from the probable channels
of impure drainage
Water for domestic should be clean. ius
trous oeoress, cooress. wholesome soft neither
strongly acid nor alkaline and its temperature
for general farm purposes should be about so de
grees. These characteristics. however are never
proof Of purity, for glass of water may pos
sess them all and yet contain millions of disease
producing germs.
Ground water Is the Ideal supply for tn,
farm Any farmer who is about to have deer
! we'll and who Is uncertain of the depth and guam
| tity or quality of the water likely to be encoun
tered should describe fully the location and con
diton of his project to national or state geologi
| cal authorities and ask for advice. The use o
he willow hazel. or peach stick for locating un