TALKS WITH PRACTICAL IRRIGATORS. 



213 



thereby holding water that would be running- to waste 

 in the rivers. 



EXPERIMENTS IN TILLAGE. 



A large number of plats have been devoted to 

 tillage of corn, wheat, potatoes, and include tillage 

 at varying depths, and from no tillage to excessive 

 tillage of the ground and preparation of crops, also 

 plowing from four to ten inches deep, increasing the 

 depth two inches at each change. We do not find 

 that excessive tillage is profitable, not increasing the 

 crop. Deep plowing has not affected the crop. 

 Hoeing of wheat has been unsuccessful. Deep till- 

 age of corn has been unprofitable. We find that hill- 

 ing of corn, or checking, rowing and hilling is equal- 

 ly as effective as plat cultivation, enabling us to keep 

 the weeds down without the aid of man or hoe. 



SIMPLE EARTHEN DAMS. 



Practical Suggestions for Farmers Building Small 

 Reservoirs for Irrigation. 



BY SAMUEL FORTIER. 



I. 



The object of this paper is to give a few hints 

 which may aid farmers when engaged on earthen 

 dams for irrigation. 



1. All materials used in earthen dams pack better 

 when moistened. This is particularly true when the 

 material consists of a series of particles ranging from 

 very fine to coarse. When water is applied a mortar 

 is made of the finer particles, into which the larger 

 grains are imbedded somewhat as the gravel or 

 broken rock is in cement concrete. 



2. No earthen dam will long resist the action of 

 even a small volume of water flowing over its top, so 

 that ample provision must be made to by-pass the 

 flood water. 



3. It is usually difficult to obtain a water-right be- 

 tween the original surface and the embankment, and 

 as planks are grooved and tongued to make righter 

 joints in lumber, so it is good practice to dig a trench 

 beneath the embankment and fill it with puddled 

 borrowed material. 



4. Two things are essential in all such structures, 

 viz.: An impervious coating and sufficient weight 

 to resist the horizontal thrust of the pressure of the 

 water. 



5. Means must be provided to draw off the water 

 when required for use. This is effected by a box, 

 tunnel in rock, stone, culvert or pipe, with the area 

 way of whatever is used stopped by a movable gate. 



6. Water under pressure, unless acted upon by 

 other forces, tends to flow in straight lines; and, other 

 things being equal, that construction is the best which 

 causes the escaping water to turn the most angles. 



7. Earthen banks will not long resist the action of 

 waves. 



8. Every precaution should be taken to ensure 

 thoroughness in the building, as a leak once formed 

 can seldom be stopped. 



SUGGESTIONS IN BUILDING SMALL RESERVOIRS. 



The objects for which water is stored and the 

 various conditions which exist in each case differ so 

 widely that it is impossible to lay down precise rules. 

 Speaking generally, however, one of the first things 

 to be done after the site is secured is to make pro- 

 vision to draw off the water. Wooden boxes or cribs 

 of timber, although sometimes used, are not to be 

 recommended from the fact that they soon decay, 

 and are extremely difficult to replace, are a source of 

 weakness to the reservoir and do not admit of easily 

 inserting a gate which can be freely operated. Stone 

 culverts, laid in cement, are costly and substantial 

 as a rule but require a special gate which may give 

 trouble. Piping, of which there are several kinds in 

 the market, is perhaps the most suitable, and by its 

 use one can purchase the standard low-pressure 

 water valves, such as are in use in the city water 

 works, that are guaranteed to give satisfaction. The 

 following are some of the kinds of water piping, 

 together with the approximate prices pef linear foot, 

 at principal cities in the arid region, for 12 inches 

 interior diameter: 



Cast iron piping, in lengths of 12 ft. over all, lead joints. .. $1.60 



Kalamein piping, in lengths of from 15 to 20 ft., lead joints.. 1.60 



Wyckoff piping, bored wood with spiral flat bands 



Wrought iron or steel riveted piping, No. -14 B gauge in 

 joints of about three feet in length, riveted on lead 

 joints 1.30 



Spiral weld steel tubing, cast iron joints with lead 



Spiral iron or steel riveted piping, iron joints with lead 



Redwood stave piping (Allen patent) steel round bands, 



built continuous in the trench 70 



Valves may be ordered in more than a score of 

 different places to fit into any one of the above kinds 

 of piping. In most makes one can order valves with 

 sockets for a long rod, which would be used on the 

 inside of the reservoirs, and of sufficient length to 

 reach above high water where a hand wheel is 

 attached. . It is much safer to place all valves or stop 

 gates near the inner end of the piping. Where water 

 free of sediment is wanted, as for city use, the outlet 

 pipe is placed two or more feet above the bottom, 

 with a drain pipe at the lowest point to flush out the 

 sediment, but for irrigation it may be placed on the 

 bottom. In laying the pipe care must be taken to 

 provide a safe and continuous bearing beneath it, 

 otherwise the load imposed by the earth above will 

 cause portions to settle, and so loosen the joints. 



It is necessary, too, to dig one or more cross 

 trenches from the pipe and pack them full of cement 

 concrete, clay, or good earthen puddle, bringing the 



