36 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



sliding door, which may be opened sidewise to any 

 given width and fastened at that point. Both gates are 

 exactly on a level. The weir at the head of each 

 succeeding lateral is an exact duplicate. Five weirs 

 suffice for the six branches, the fifth one serving for 

 two, being at the last point of division. The distribu- 

 tion of the water is so arranged that but one consumer 

 has water in and certain lateral at a time. 



Under this arrangement the zanjero, starting at the 

 head of the main line with say 600 inches of water to 

 be dividee equally between the six laterals, goes to 

 the first weir and sets the gates in the ratio of five for 

 the main to one for the lateral, and so on, the gates in 

 the last weir being set equally open. Measurements 

 to ascertain the amount of water are made on the 

 open weir basis. Under this arrangement it will be 

 seen that any decrease, and likewise any increase, in 

 the fiow is automatically and equitably divided be- 

 tween all parties on the system. 



The gates, which are not patented, are the in- 

 vention of W. M. Bristol of East Highlands, under 

 whose supervision the weirs are being built. 



DEVELOP THE SPRINGS. 



BY J. M. GOODWIN. 



Sometimes a word or thought expressed to the in- 

 quiring mind may lead to good results. Riding in a 

 train a few days ago a gentleman, who has spent a 

 long life as civil engineer began talking of the possi- 

 bilities of the arid lands we are traveling over in 

 southwestern Idaho. "Water," said he, "is the great 

 thing. It may be developed sometimes where you 

 would hardly expect at least such abundance." 



One of our party said he had found a very small 

 spring on his land, and he wished it would open out 

 big enough to be of use. 



"Why don't you help nature to do that? " said our 

 engineer. "Let me give you an example. I was sur- 

 veying some years ago in Texgs. A small spring and 

 its basin into which the water flowed supplied the 

 cattle with water. The animals stood in the basin and 

 tramped around the spring until they crushed out the 

 flow, and the cattle had to go without drink. I urged 

 the cowboys to dig until the water was started again, 

 They did so and secured a larger flow than ever be- 

 fore. The number of cattle greatly increased, and, 

 more water being needed, the excavations were ex- 

 tended, and within a year or two the spring increased 

 its flow so much that the owner put in a small race and 

 had water enough to run a small saw-mill. Springs 

 are mostly artesian in character and can be, as a general 

 thing, increased in quantity by giving them more 

 freedom in discharge." 



Now is a good time to trace and open springs. Dur- 

 ing the heated term, when the air of the arid regions 



take up moisture so rapidly as to exhaust small springs 

 before the water passes many feet on the surface, and 

 numerous others before coming to the surface. Small 

 springs cannot be easily found and traced. There are 

 very many such which in July and August did not show 

 even signs of moisture, which now, that cool days 

 have come, are sending out strong streams of water 

 and, mingling their flow together, have filled the 

 brooks with the clear, sparkling fluid. 



The writer could mention many incidents where a 

 few feet of an open cut or tunnelling into the hill has 

 developed large flows of water. A tiny spring in the 

 northern portion of Salt Lake City a few years ago 

 sent out a little hot water to be taken up like a spring 

 by the dry air before it had gone many feet. The 

 owner tried the experiment of tunneling in some 

 twenty or thirty feet through limestone. A portion 

 of the water thus developed is now pumped up into a 

 tank eighty feet above and it then flows about two 

 miles through an eight-inch wooden pipe to a sani- 

 tarium in the heart of the city and delivers it there 

 with a temperature of 108 degrees. Were it not for 

 the tunnel that spring would not have been known 

 except to a few and its great value would have re- 

 mained unheard and its praises unsung. 



The drill that pierces the earth to a depth of a 

 thousand feet and taps a generous flow of water is 

 only performing the same service that a tunnel run 

 into the hill may do, and often the tunnel is the cheap- 

 est, most simple and effective. 



AN OLIVE OILPLANT. 



Howland Bros, have just received their new and 

 expensive oil machinery and have it in place in their 

 new building in their olive orchard near North Pomo- 

 na. They have a gasoline engine for power. The 

 olive press weighs 13 tons and is operated by hydraul- 

 ic power. Two hundred pounds pressure is provided 

 for. The crusher weighs 2,200 pounds. The build- 

 ing and machinery are constructed specially for mak- 

 ing olive oil. Pomona Times. 



NEEDLESS IMPORTATION. 



Peas, barley and alfalfa are so easily and luxuri- 

 ently grown in all the valleys of Central and Western 

 Montana that it is a matter of surprise that so few 

 ranchers engage in hog raising. As much pork is 

 probably consumed in mining camps, per capita, as 

 in any other region; yet Montana depends for its sup- 

 ply upon Chicago. Home hog-raising for the North- 

 west is as important as "home rule" for Ireland. 



The residents of Wild Flower, Cal., are reported as 

 planning to irrigate 40,000 acres. J. J. Schlitz and J. 

 R. Smith are interested. 



