THE IRRIGATION AGE. 279 



the orange belt of Tulare county had already made an extended use 

 of pumping for irrigation purposes. The value of the land in that 

 locality for orange growing, the dryness of the climate, and the im- 

 practicability of securing river or artesian water for irrigating pur- 

 poses rendered pumping a necessity. More or less extensive steam, 

 gasoline, and horse power pumping plants have therefore been quite 

 common in the vicinity of Lindsay and Porterville for a number of 

 years. As might be expected this locality has been one of the first to 

 take up and make effective use of the electric current for irrigation. 



This district is now covered by the lines of the Mt. Whitney 

 Power Co. which has power houses within 30 miles of Visalia, Gal. 

 This company recently increased its plant by the addition of 1800- 

 horse power. This has now been largely absorbed for pumping pur- 

 poses and an additional power plant will soon be installed. 



The Krogh Manufacturing Co. of San Francisco, which has sup- 

 plied many pumping plants for the orange groves of Tulare county, 

 gives the following details of the irrigation work there. The water is 

 found at a depth of from 50 to 75 feet. Wells 5x7 feet are usually 

 excavated to within 20 feet of the water. Below this level there is 

 usually a 10-inch bore. The motors and pumps are then placed at the 

 bottom of the excavation and do not require a great amount of atten- 

 tion. 



What is known as the Nob Hill plant was recently installed near 

 Lindsay, Here a centrifugal pump driven by a 20 horse power motor 

 elevates 500 gallons per minute against 95 foot head. This plant re- 

 placed a pump and motor which required 30-horse power for their 

 operation. An orange grove in Tulare county is irrigated from this 

 source. 



Lowell C. Jones of Los Gatos irrigates an orchard at Lindsay by 

 means of a centrifugal pump and 2-horse power motor. The pump 

 raises 60 gallons of water per minute to a height of 60 feet, using two 

 electral horse power. This plant replaced an 8 horse power centrifu- 

 gal pump and shows much greater economy. 



Peter Ting of Porterville is using a plant which has been ar- 

 ranged to pump 111 gallons per minute to a head of 50 feet. This 

 plant gives an efficiency of 47 per cent with 3 horse power. 



At Lindsay Heights a plant operated by a 50- horse power electric 

 motor pumps 750 gallons of water per minute to a height of 150 feet. 



