32 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 



Irrigation pumping, from the farmer's point of view, has 

 many advantages, in that a pumping plant will give him water 

 just at the time he wants it, and this is a more important factor 

 to him than the saving of the money effected. It is exceptional 

 to be able to get water just at the time when it is wanted, when 

 irrigating from a ditch, as ditch riders and water superintendents 

 must serve all alike. Not only this, but when water is turned 

 into a ditch, it must run in quantities in order to secure economy, 

 and it is not possible that every man along a ditch will be similarly 

 situated with regard to the progress of his work so that all will 

 require water at any one time. 



If water is to be pumped, some kind of power is necessary to 

 operate the pump. Among the more important sources of power 

 are the gasolene engine, steam engine, and electric motor. The 

 latter, however, is rapidly displacing the other two wherever 

 electric power is available, just as it has already done in the city. 

 The principal advantage of the electric motor is that its power is 

 instantaneously available and it will always run when wanted. 

 Furthermore it can be run for months at a time without shut- 

 ting down the plant, and there are thousands of electric pump- 

 ing installations in the Far West which run twenty-four hours a 

 day for six months at a time; this being entirely feasible as the 

 only attendance that is required for electrical equipment is an 

 occasional oiling of the motor bearings. The steam engine, on 

 the other hand, requires the constant attendance of a licensed 

 engineer, while the gasolene engine has a large number of moving 

 parts, which must necessarily be adjusted from time to time. It is 

 practically impossible to operate a gasolene engine for six months 

 at a time without extensive repairs at the end of the period. Being 

 able to run the electric motor all the time is, therefore, a distinct 

 advantage, in that a small reservoir can be used to store the water 

 pumped during the night, and in this way a much smaller equip- 

 ment can be used than would otherwise be required. The electric 

 motor has the added advantage of remote control, the farmer 

 being able to stop and start it even if he is several miles away. 



The advantages of electric power for irrigation purposes have 

 been clearly demonstrated by the excellent work which is being 

 done by the United States Reclamation Service, the United States 

 Indian Service, and numerous cooperative and individual enter- 

 prises. The Salt River project in Arizona, when completed, will 



