460 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



WINDMILL IRRIGATION. 



(Selected.) 



Nearly every farmer can fiad a few acres ou his farm with a water 

 supply, either from well or creek, and a surface suitable for irrigation. 

 On sandy plains, which are usually level, large tracts of land are 

 fitted for this system of farming, being leveled down or filled up in 

 order to make the entire field or set of fields, present a proper sur- 

 face for flooding. The instructions here given are not intended to 

 apply to such cases as are furnished with water by means of large 

 irrigation ditches controlled by corporations. Lands in the vicinity 

 of these ditches are usually thoroughly surveyed, and at great ex- 

 pense the entire country in the vicinity is leveled off and properly 

 arranged. 



In those regions called semi-arid, where only an occasional water- 

 ing is needed, other than that given by nature, farmers, in general, 

 do not attempt to irrigate their entire holdings but only a siuall 

 acreage of garden, root crops, fruit trees and occasionally a grass 

 plot. Such places being isolated from any general irrigation systein, 

 much economy luust be looked for in the use of water, which usually 

 must be pumped up from small streams or wells of var3nng depths. 

 Whether the water be obtained from either of these sources, the 

 farmer can choose for himself, taking that system which will be 

 cheapest and most suitable to his location and surroundings. The 

 questions which confront every farmer in starting out at this kind 

 of work are: How large must the reservoir be in order to irrigate 

 a field of a certain acreage? How must this reservoir be con- 

 structed? Can I, without enormous expense, water my crop if my 

 land is rolling to such an extent as to make flooding impossible? 

 How much water will be needed? 



THE SIX FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF WINDMILL IRRIGATION. 



First, and very important, an open well and ample supply of water. 



Second, a first-class, small, steel windmill. 



Third, a windmill at least thirty feet above all wind obstructions. 



Fourth, a good brass cylinder pump, with large openings through 

 valves. 



Fifth, a reservoir of sufficient capacity so that the water can be 

 allowed to rush on the land in a large volume, thoroughly soak- 

 ing it to a considerable depth. 



Sixth, the entire capacity of the windmill utilized for three- 

 quarters of the year, and the ground thoroughly flooded and satu- 

 rated in the winter time, when there is the least heat to dr}'- it up 

 and interfere with irrigating. 



THE RESERVOIR. 



Too inuch importance cannot be given to the necessity of send- 

 ing over the ground a large volume of water at one time. It must 

 be a flooding of the ground, not a moistening. In most cases, the 

 greater the depth of water that is put on'the ground at one time 

 the better; hence, the necessity of an ample sized reservoir. In no 

 case should one be less than fifty feet in diameter, with walls that 



