New Mexico state record., 1920-01-09

dfegS 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 be classed
as unqualifedy safe and desirable. On the aver
age three out of four farm wells are located with
in IS 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, fertzed fields. sink drains priv
les, cesspoOs, and areas rendered insanitary bv
chickens. slops. and other filth. Too frequently
the seepage from these and other sources after
joining the ground water. moves to wells and
springs inpairng 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 universally
that uny within comparatively recent years has
1t been realized that this waste product of hu-
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 diur-
rhea, or other ailments. and ii is not improbable
that certain obscure maadies may be traced event
uay to the poisonous effects of drainage from hui
man waste. The poison is invisible to the naked
eye and it may be carried by many agencies by
devious routes, and be unsnspectinGly received
into the human body Typhoid fever is peculiarly
rural disease. and many instances clearly ind-
cate serious neglect of responsibility with regard
to sanitation by people who live in the country
Not TO dispose Of sewage promptly invites nu-
sance hut not to dispose of sewage cleany and
completely invites disease 1t is not enough tina;
human filth is taken 80, 75. 100, 80 feet
away from Il well or spring or that It is
omen subSoil. seamy ledge, or ong-contnued pou-
tion of plat of ground. the zone of contamina-
tion is likely to extend and readily may reach
quite distant wells, especially at such tines rs
well waters are lowered by drought or heavy
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 I'm 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 712 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 on request
Pure Water the Need.
One Of the first and obvious needs of Ameri-
can farms is pure water supply From the
portance purity. is the installation of a water
system in the farm house that will save labor.
Continued pumping will not improve water in
a well if the sources which feed 1t are permanent
ly at fault Wells cannot be located in all cases
to be wholly free from pollution. but the great
est safeguards clean ground and wide sep
arations possible from the probable channels
of impure drainage.
Water for domestic use should be clean. lus-
irous ocorless, colorless wholesome soft, neither
strongly acid alkaline. and its temperature
for general farm purposes should be about 80 de-
grees These characteristics. however are never
proof of purity for "a glass of water may pos
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 10 have a deep
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-
dtion of his project TO national or state geolog-
cal authorities and ask for advice. The use o.
the willow, hazel. peach stick for locating un-