Jerome County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1919-1920, 1920-01-08


for having drunk its disease-laden output In
vestigatons made by the United States depart-
nent OF agriculture indicate that only a small
minority of farm-water supplies can be classed
as unqualihedy safe and desirable On the aver
age three out of four farm wells are located with
IN 20 feet OF a back door of the house and in
the direction of the barnyard.
That convenience and first cost not sofo+,-
have been the deciding factors in such cases Is
made evident by the nearness of barnvords nj,
pens pastures, fortified fields. sink drains priv
les cesSpoos, and areas rendered insanitary nv
chickens. Stops, and other filth Too frequently
the seepage from these and other sources ofter
joining the ground water. moves to wells and
springs impairing the water supply by impurlty.
and may be grossly poisonous.
Sewage Disposal
popular Indifference to the effective dfsnosoi
OF sewage has existed so long and so universally
that only within comparatively recent wears has
1t been realized that this waste product Of I'M
man life Is poisonous and must be kept from rho
1000 ana drink of man. From the specfc germs
or poison that may be carried in sewage at any
tlne there may result typhoid fever. tuberculo
SIS hookworm disease, cholera, dysentery diar-
rhea, or other ailments. and ii Is not imnrohahl.
uhat certain obscure malades may be traced ay, nj
ually to the poisonous effects of drainage from bu
man waste The poison is invisible To the naked
eye ana 1t may be carried by many agencies nv
devious routes, and be unsuspectinglv received
into the human body. Typhoid fever is peculiarIv
rural disease, and many instances clearly indi-
cate serious neglect of responsibility with regord
10 sanitation by people who live in the country
NOT TO dispose of sewage promptly invites mi.
sance put not to dispose Of sewage cleanIv and
completely invites disease. II is not enough tina.
human NTH IS taken so 10. 100 or $50 feet
away from a well or spring, or that # is
@Aeh merely to lower ground Given loose or
open SuDsoil' seamy ledge, or long-coninued poIlu.
uon 81 one plat Of ground, the zone of contamina
ton is likely to extend and readily NAV raa..b
quite Instant wells, especially at such tirnrs ,s
we" waters are lowered by drought or heovv
pumping. Whatever the system Of sewage dis
poSai II should be entirely ana widely SOM,
Iateu from the water supply, and if possible
'ne Surlace OF the sewage in any leaky PRIV.
vault or cesspool should be lower than the low
est water in any nearby we'll The rrit..d
states department Of agriculture has nrenored
puHeuh NO. fl2. from its 1916 Year',rok enti
tied Sewage Disposal on the Farm" which givas
details regarding various types Of outhouses spg
sestons regarding plumbing. cesspools. s4.tic
,ahKS' and related subjects. This pamphlet win
be mailed free on request
Pure Water the Need
One Of the first and obvious needs NJ ,r,o.,
can farms is pure water supply From tho
standpoint Of the housewife second only in inv,
portahce to purity. is the installation Of n voi.r
system IN the farm house that will save labor
continued pumping will not improve wafer in
" wen II the sources which feed it are permanent
y III tault. Wells cannot he located in ,n cases
10 be wholly free from pollution but the rrc.,,
eS' safeguards are clean ground and as wide SEN
aIauons as possible from the probable channels
Of impure drainage
water for domestic use should be clean Ius
lrous' oeorless colorless. wholesome. soft neither
strongly acid nor alkaline and its Temperature
Tor general farm purposes should be about 80 do
srees. These characteristics, however. are never
proof of purity, for q glass of water NAV NOS
sess 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 n deem
well, and who is uncertain of the depth and ouon
uty or quality of the water likely to be encoun-
tered. should describe fully the location and con-
ditiOn of his project to national or state geOlog-
cal authorities and ask for advice. The use %
the willow, hazel, or peach stick for locating un-