456 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



wanted than to do the work and suffer the wastag^e incident to flow- 

 ing- it to distant points. 



Fifth. Even where irrigation or \vindniill irrigation is not neces- 

 sary or desirable at all times, the use of an 8-foot outfit will insure a 

 large family and some stock with a livelihood every year. All is 

 not chanced on the weather. 



In nine cases out of ten farmers wish to irrigate only from three 

 to five acres of garden, root crops and fruit. Where they are suita- 

 bly located, many will wish to irrigate tracts much larger than this. 

 It will usuall}^ be found, however, that a large area which is to be 

 irrigated can be divided off into several smaller ones, each of which 

 can be supplied with a small reservoir, and will therefore be inde- 

 pendent of all others. Another advantage gained by using small 

 outfits is that the farmer who is inexperienced might fail in carry- 

 ing out an extended system, while if a small outfit is used at first, he 

 can, as his knowledge of the subject increases, add to this by estab- 

 lishing a similar outfit in the adjacent field. 



WIND OBSTRUCTIOxXS. 



Another of the most potent causes of failure in the use of wind- 

 mills for irrigation is wind obstructions. Were we to lay down the 

 rule just as we would like to see it carried out for all windmills put 

 up for irrigating purposes, we would say, never put up a windmill 

 unless you have itthirt}^ feet above all wind obstructions. In this 

 vicinity are one-half dozen places where wind is used for irrigating- 

 purposes, where they do not secure water enough to irrigate more 

 than three or four acres from a 12-foot wheel. In most cases this 

 failure is due to the fact that they do not get the windmill up to 

 where the wind can reach it. In several of these places, the wheels 

 are hardly visible above the groves in which they are placed. That 

 they get any results whatever from them is more surprising than 

 that they do not get more. The best results can never be obtained 

 unless the windmill is at least thirty feet above trees and houses in 

 the vicinity. A grove or clump of trees ten or fifteen rods away to 

 the south, west or northwest may almost wholly destroy the effici- 

 ency of the windmill when the wind blows from those prevailing 

 directions. Many say that they do not like to go upon a high wind- 

 mill tower. Then don't waste time in putting up a windmill; get 

 your water supply from the ditch. If you contemplate using a 

 windmill, j^ou must put it up so that the wind will g-et a full sweep 

 at it. It is safer, and it is the only way to get results. You are not 

 putting up a windmill as a matter of convenience, but to raise water 

 for irrigation purposes, and should not, therefore, give much consid- 

 eration to the small matter of convenience in climbing the tower to 

 oil and look after the wheel, when this feature is of such infinitely 

 small importance as compared with the desirability of getting the 

 wheel up where you will get the best results. If you contemplate 

 putting in a 12-foot wheel down low, it will serve your purpose just 

 as well to take an 8-foot wheel and put it up high. You will get 

 more from it than you will from the 12-foot wheel put down behind 

 the obstructions. 



