WINDWILLS FOR IRRIGATION. 



FACTS OBTAINED PROM THE COMMISSION OF 

 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION TOPEKA, KAN. 



It has been thoroughly demonstrated during the last few years 

 that the steel back-geared mills are the best for pumping water; and 

 it has also been demonstrated that, while the new mills are more 

 powerful than those constructed a few years ago, still there is room 

 for improvement in many directions. The demand for windmills for 

 pumping water for irrigation is stimulating inventive genius, and we 

 have reason to expect steady progress. We are now looking for the 

 mill that will so adjust itself to the velocity of the wind that as the 

 wind increases the load will be increased. Such a mill would run in 

 a very light wind, and at the same time regulate itself by increasing 

 or decreasing the load. The demand for the improvement above 

 mentioned will be easily seen when we stop to consider that the wind- 

 mill will increase the number of strokes as the velocity of the wind 

 increases, until at a certain point, when it is regulated for the sake of 

 safety to throw itself partially out of the wind, and some will not 

 pump at all in good stiff winds that should (if properly harnessed) 

 bring up large quantities of water. There is one other improvement 

 that should be demanded of the windmill manufacturers, and that is, 

 that 'they improve their -mills so they will catch more of the wind. 

 The company that will lead off on these two lines, with a good, strong 

 mill, will capture the trade. There is a well-founded prejudice in the 

 minds of many against the very large windmills. We venture to pre- 

 dict that when the mills are perfected the twelve-foot mill will pump 

 more water on the average than the sixteen-foot mill will at the pres- 

 ent time. 



HOME-MADE WINDMILLS FOR PUMPING WATER. 



We cannot go into a thorough discussion of home-made windmills 

 at this time for different reasons; one reason is, that it hardly seems 

 necessary on account of what has been said and published on that 

 line. The most common home-made mill is doubtless the Jumbo, 

 which does good work and lots of it, if properly constructed. They 

 are often constructed with sufficient power to run a Irrge pump at 

 each end. The power should be increased by increasing the length 

 instead of the diameter of the wheel. The wheel which has very 

 much diameter will move very slow in a wind that will give good 

 motion to one of about one-third less diameter, provided it is not 

 overloaded. A steel shaft is much the best, and a pulley should be 

 placed on one end so that a brake can be attached. Where the water 



