DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 657 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



The cost per acre is quite a factor aud probably much greater than the average 

 market gardener would care to expend on his field. It must not be assumed, however, 

 that this system cannot be installed in a cheaper manner, for, as already mentioned, 

 savings in equipment can be effected in one or two instances. 



Had the overhead system been carried on 2 by 3 wooden posts, creosoted and 

 driven into the ground, the cost for posts would have been not more than fifty dollars, 

 whereas the galvanized iron posts cost $254.60. This one alteration would thus reduce 

 the cost by $204.60. An additional saving is also made by using wooden posts in that 

 the pipes are set in grooves or notches in the top of the post, thus doing away with 

 the patent hangers and thereby saving $96 more. As the stakes are driven into the 

 ground, no cement is necessary, as was the case with the iron posts, so that a further 

 saving of $35.75 is here effected. Thus by simply using creosoted wooden uprights 

 instead of iron posts, a saving of $336.35 could be made, without impairing the 

 efficiency of the system whatsoever at the outset though the wooden posts would be 

 much less permanent. 



In most estimates or statements regarding the cost of installing an irrigation 

 system, no estimate is allowed for leading the water to the field to be irrigated, thus 

 many people claim that it costs from $125 to $200 per acre to install the overhead 

 system of irrigation. These estimates assume that the water is, of course, cld^e to the 

 field and that it is only necessary to connect up with the main pipe line at close 

 range. 'Sucli statements are rather misleading to the average grower, who naturally 

 thinks that all items are included in these figures. In order, therefore, to present 

 this question of cost in all its different aspects and to prevent the reader from gaining 

 a false impression regarding the expensiveness of irrigation installation, assume that 

 a two-acje field is to be irrigated, and that an estimate of the cheapest possible 

 installation is needed. The cost of leading the water to the field will not be taken into 

 consideration since that is a matter which will vary considerably with local conditions. 

 Assuming that the field to be irrigated is 380 feet by about 300 feet in area, or in 

 other words, about a two-acre field, to properly irrigate such a field, six lines of pipe, 

 each 50 feet apart will be required. Each line would be 380 feet long, but should be 

 divided at the middle into two separate units, each 190 feet in length. To feed this 

 system, an underground pipe consisting of 150 feet of 2i-inch pipe and 150 feet of 

 2-inch pipe would be required. As there are several optional systems or plans of 

 installation, each will be considered separately. The options are: — (1) galvanized 

 pipe throughout, nozzle lines carried on galvanized uprights set in cement, (2) 

 galvanized pipes above ground, black iron pipe underground, lines carried on iron 

 posts, (3) galvanized pipe above ground, black iron pipe underground, lines 

 carried on wooden posts, (4) galvanized pipes above ground and underground, lines 

 carried on wooden posts. Of these options, ISTo. 1 is the most permanent. 

 Those options in which black iron pipe is used beneath ground would probably be 

 somewhat shorter lived, but how much is not known. It may be that the difference in 

 life is not enough to warrant the use of galvanized pipe. In those options in which 

 wooden posts are used, if the posts are creosoted their life will be long enough for all 

 practical purposes, the only objection to this plan being the clumsiness of the 



structure. 



Before installing any system of irrigation, the question of water supply should be 

 given serious consideration. The supply should be such that at all times sufficient 

 water will be available to give the area a good drenching. An application of one-half 

 inch per acre is considered a good application at one time. During an exceedingly 

 dry spell, it will probably be necessary to give two such applications a week, or 

 perhaps more. Some authorities always give an inch at each irrigation, claiming that 

 one heavy irrigation is much better than several lighter ones. An acre inch, that is, 

 enough water to cover an acre one inch deep is 27,154 gallons. This does not allow 

 for any evaporation. This does not mean, of course, that this much water will actually 



Ottawa. 



