110 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



as one drouth succeeds another, and as I observe one promising crop after 

 another fail or utterly perish for the need of only one good shower, I became 

 more and more convinced that irrigation, even though very expensive, which I 

 think in very many cases need not be, would pay and pay largely. 



With these convictions and a desire to discover some comparatively inexpen- 

 sive system by which I could irrigate the little patch of land I cultivate, I 

 commenced figuring and investigating a number of years ago, and have not got 

 through yet. 



The information gained by reading the experience of Robert L. Kenneson, of 

 Utah, Perrin, of Denver, Judge Osborne, of Greeley colony, Eaton, of New 

 Mexico, Stribling, of San Antonio Valley, and others who irrigate by flooding, 

 with water brought forward in expensive public canals, which have to be suf- 

 ficiently elevated to give the necessary head, is of but little use to us whose 

 main ditch is the Kalamazoo river, which is a number of feet below the land 

 we desire to irrigate. The still more expensive mode of forcing up and spread- 

 ing water by steam pressure, by a system similar to the water-works seen in our 

 cities, as practiced in some portions of England, is also quite impracticable for 

 us. What system of irrigation would be best suited to our individual need is 

 not so easily determined. I am of the opinion, however, that with large reser- 

 voirs constructed on our most elevated ground, irrigation would be quite 

 practicable even with the amount of water a good ordinary well would afford 

 and to us of very limited means. 



The plan by which I had thought to irrigate my own garden and strawberry 

 patch, is to construct, on a high sandy knoll, at the foot of which there is an 

 abundant supply of water, a large reservoir — say 10x100 feet and 6 feet in 

 depth, which would have a capacity of 9,(500 cubic feet, or sufficient to cover 

 about 5j acres about one-half inch in depth, which would be equal to a good 

 rain shower. 



To construct this reservoir it would only be necessary to make an excavation 

 in two feet in the ground, using the earth thus excavated as an embankment on 

 every side to the highth of four feet, and plaster the whole with a cement such 

 as we use for our common cisterns. When the knoll is sufficiently elevated the 

 excavation should be the full depth of the pond, mine is not. 



The supply of water might be furnished by a cheaply constructed wind power, 

 such as Mr. Morrison is using in his tannery at Saugatuck, attached to a sub- 

 merge pump, or in case of filter wells, to a good suction force pump. From the 

 reservoir I would have a supply pipe leading to the ground to be irrigated, a 

 portion of which should be portable, in order that the distributing cart might 

 be filled whenever it became empty, and of sufficient size to load very rapidly. 

 The common pump-log, which would cost about eight cents per foot, might be 

 used for a supply pipe, but I had thought of using for this purpose a much 

 cheaper, ami I think better pipe, made of cement, after a plan given in the 

 November number of the American Agriculturist for 1872, which I have here 

 for your inspection and opinion. My distributing cart also would be made 

 after a plan given in the American Agriculturist, two illustrated plans of which 

 I have with me and desire the opinion of the .Society as to the practicability of 

 the same. 



The advantage I claim for this plan of irrigation is, that with a large storage 

 capacity so cheaply constructed, irrigation is practicable with a, small stream 

 such as a good well would afford, and such as an ordinary pump kept constantly 

 running by a small wind power would furnish. 



