of course, this would depend on 

 int of rain. I call my system 

 dental irrigation, ' as it is intended 

 sment the rainfall. I don't know, 



but ' supplemental rain ' would 

 ;he situation better, for the irriga- 

 ire and the rain is not. Almost 

 ler who possesses a well or spring 

 a small cost, comparatively, insure 

 i against a dry season. Water will 

 a. hill, and the chief thing to take 

 sideration is to get the water to 

 est point on the land. I estimate 

 e cost of a plant engine, mains, 

 i, etc. to be about $15 to $20 per 

 yated. This is the first year's ex- 

 e. After that the expense would be 

 fuel and labor. I believe the in- 



crops the first season would more 

 ay the entire cost of the plant. 



be possible in some cases to use 

 is for pumping, but small steam or 

 168 are not expensive. In the case 

 ylum, we have a pumping capacity 



6,000,000 gallons of water per 

 he institution, so we did not find 

 ary to put in additional engines, 

 ual maintenance of an irrigation 

 lilarly situated to ours, including 

 used to run the engine, and an 



for the same, would not cost more 

 per acre. " 



iperintendent believes that the in- 

 wakened in Illinois in regard to this 

 , on account of the severe 

 3 during the past few years and 

 ess met with on the asylum farm, 

 rigation is demonstrated to be a 

 ccess, will lead to an immediate 



great advance in this line of work, and 

 that within a few years every farmer will 

 have an irrigation system, or will irrigate 

 his orchards and gardens from wells. In 

 many places a few farmers can join to- 

 gether and take water out of a stream, as 

 was formerly done in Utah and other sec- 

 tions of the arid region. 



CHEAPER PUMPS INCREASED VALUE OF FARM 

 LANDS. 



The superintendent predicts such a de- 

 mand for cheap pumping plants, able to 

 deliver water at a relatively small cost, 

 that it will lead some inventive genius to 

 make a pump at far less cost than any- 

 thing on the market at the present time. 

 He would not advise any farmer, however, 

 to wait for cheaper machinery, as the 

 value of one crop, lost for the want of ir- 

 rigation, will more than pay the cost of 

 pumps and windmills at the price they are 

 now sold. 



Asked what would be a fair statement 

 of the increase in the value of farm land 

 on account of the irrigation system, Super- 

 intendent Gapen replied that the increase 

 in products is four fold, and, estimating 

 on this basis, land which was valued at 

 $100 an acre without irrigation would be 

 worth $500 an acre with it. 



That the people of the State of Illinois 

 will feel proud, of the sagacity and enter- 

 prise of the superintendent and board of 

 trustees at Kankakee goes without the say- 

 ing. They have set an example which 

 will be followed. Illinois leads the way. 

 The farmers of the whole country will fall 

 into line. 



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