PULSE OF THE IRRIGATION INDUSTRY. 



VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

 ON GOOD ROADS. 



BY FRANK S. CHAPIN. 



-HMMET BARBER, C. E., engaged on 

 J_j the irrigation work of Miller & Lux, 

 Kern Co., Cal., reports that they are 

 checking up some 5,000 acres every year. 

 Their system is similar to that described 

 by T. S. Van Dyke in his article descrip- 

 tive of Kern County Land Co., in THE 

 AGE for June, 1896. 



They have made some recent changes in 

 detail. They have been accustomed to use 

 very large checks and to run water from 

 one to another, then into the large drain- 

 age canal that spreads over the swamps 

 and makes late feed there. On this plan 

 they only irrigated by day and allowed a 

 great deal of water to run to waste and 

 some to stand too long on the land. Some- 

 times they threw checks around the low 

 places to prevent their filling and at other 

 times they let them fill up and make ponds. 



Now they are renewing ctoss ditches 

 from their canals along the highest ridges 

 and allowing the lowest ground between 

 every two for a drainage canal. All these 

 drains empty into the main drainage 

 canal that runs to the swamp. 



Instead of allowing the low places to be- 

 come-ponds they make low checks of these 

 and only let in enough water to irrigate 

 them. 



They are making much smaller checks 

 than formerly and expect to work a night 

 crew as well as one by day, and extend 

 the service of water greatly by admitting to 

 such checks only enough for a thorough 

 wetting, and draining into another drain 

 instead of another check, whenever it is 

 practical. 



This will be a great improvement in 

 avoiding injury to the alfalfa in hot wea- 

 ther and will not pack the ground as is 

 sometimes done when water stands too 

 long. 



The implement described by Mr. Van 

 Dyke for throwing up checks originated 

 with Miller & Lux and was adopted by the 

 Kern County Land Co. It consists of a 

 heavy plow and fine large discs attached to 

 a heavy Stockton gang plow frame. The 

 outer disc is hinged so as to be thrown out 

 of the way until the last round when it is 

 needed to finish up with. 



It is drawn by eight mules and operated 

 by the teamster. 



A day's work is one and one-fourth 

 miles of check, sixteen feet at the base 

 and two feet high in the center. In mak- 

 ing so many trips over the ground the 

 eight mules pack it sufficiently. 



They call this implement a "Hone'' 

 and it costs them about $70.00. 



Here is a valuable suggestion for those 

 interest in "Good Roads". If there is 

 any implement or combination that will 

 throw up half the grade in the same time, 

 with the same help, the writer has never 

 seen it demonstrated. All through this 

 country a grade sixteen feet wide at the 

 base and two feet high in the center is ex- 

 actly what we want for a foundation for 

 our roads, and it would make a good start 

 for a railroad grade. We shall hear more 

 of the "Hone." 



WINDMILL IRRIGATION. 



DURING the past 

 .few years the value 

 of windmills for rais- 

 ing water for irriga- 

 tion has been clearly 

 demonstrated , and 

 they are now in quite general use for this 

 work in many localities. Up to the pres- 

 ent time practically all of the windmills 

 have been for pumping service only, and 

 could not be used for any of the many 

 other purposes to which wind power is 

 adapted. 



The Goodhue windmills have long bene 



