202 THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



not be too harshly blamed for seeking distant supplies which may 

 affect those nearer. Speculators, however, who propose to pump 

 water to run off long distances to cover raw lands, should be resisted 

 by all lawful means. Underground reservoirs are as valuable as 

 mines and a spirit of loyalty to one's neighborhood should guard 

 against their depletion. 



Having the water, we now come to the question of getting it to 

 the top of the ground and lifting it to higher levels economically. 



I have examined many pumping plants and have reports from 

 many more, and from these reports and examinations I come to some 

 conclusions. 



Water can be raised from a sump hole or reservoir at surface of 

 ground to higher lands and delivered at a single level most economi- 

 cally, on account of style of pump and connections with motor. One 

 cent will in good practice raise a miner's inch of water, 12,960 gallons 

 twenty-four hours six to seven feet, using pumps of moderate cost 

 and combining distillate at about 13 cents per gallon and oil $1.50 per 

 bbl. If delivered at various different levels with the same power unit, 

 one cent fo five feet is good practice, and will be less or more accord- 

 ing to conditions. This is fuel cost only. 



In raising water out of wells we have two distinct classes: 1. 

 Deep wells, where it is impracticable to sink a shaft to the water. 

 Within the reach of the ordinary farmer, these well pumps will afford 

 twenty to thirty inches at about one cent for six feet of lift. The 

 great sources of loss in these wells are found in cheap pumps and gas 

 engines which break down and entail great loss of crop from failure 

 to deliver the water when most needed. The best is none too good, 

 and great care should be used in selecting the pumps and gas engines. 

 With oil at $1.50 per bbl., almost as good results can be obtained, 

 except for cost of attendance. It is true that gas engines require the 

 time of a man, but a cheap man can attend an engine twenty-four 

 hours, while a steam engine requires not less than two men, and one 

 at least an unusually good man, and the cost of attendance will be 

 more than double. Small plants cannot pay these wages, and it pays 

 to use gasoline engines, but they must be good ones. 



Where the wells are not too deep and will yield a large amount of 

 water, the best plan is to put dow T n a curb to the water, and put in a 

 vertical centrifugal pump. Such an outfit will furnish any quantity 

 of water up to the capacity of the well at one cent per miner's inch 

 for five feet of lift, at above prices for fuel. 



Under some circumstances it will pay to set a rotary pump, a 

 steam pump or large reciprocating pump, in the bottom of the pit 

 where it is desired to deliver the water to different points much higher 

 than the surface of the ground. Such pumps have a higher efficiency, 

 an d being positive displacement pumps admit of greater variation of 



