THE IRKIGATION AGE. 



11 



PRACTICAL IRRIGATION ADVANTAGES OF GAR- 

 DEN AND ORCHARD IRRIGATION. 



BY JOHN M. IKWIN. 

 Sup't Agencies, Stover Mfg. Co , Freeport. 111. 



The object of this article is not to instruct those 

 who are interested in reclaiming large areas of our arid 

 plains, who depend on the Government or corporation 

 water canals for water, but to point out to the farmers 

 and gardeners the advantages of irrigation. 



Dry sea-sons are not unusual in every part of the 

 United States, therefore irrigation is advantageous and 

 profitable in all parts of the country in dry years. It 

 is in dry years that irrigation becomes indispensable 

 in making good crops. Every farmer and gardener 

 knows that, were he in position to supply artificially 

 enough water to his land to make up the deficiency 

 of the rain fall, he would be able to harvest full crops. 

 How is this to be done, and can it be done? In answer 

 to the first question the reply is, make a well that will 

 furnish enough water, then build a good earth reser- 

 voir of suitable size and puddle it thoroughly so that 

 it will not leak, and then put in a good pumping plant. 

 With such a- preparation, start the pump and fill the 

 reservoir with water. Always keep the pump running 

 when the reservoir is not full, so as to be prepared 

 with a good supply of water for use when wanted. 



The answer to the question, "Can it be done?" is 

 not as easily given. Has a well been made or can 

 one be made to furnish enough water? How high 

 must the water be, raised, how much land is to be 

 wartered and what is the deficiency, in inches of rain 

 fall? The quantity of water the well supplies, if all 

 is taken out, will determine the amount of land that 

 can be irrigated. The power required to pump a given 

 quantity of water in a given time depends on the per- 

 pendicular distance from the water level in the well 

 to the highest point of delivery. It requires twice as 

 much power to lift one gallon two feet high as to 

 lift it one foot high. It aiso costs twice as much power 

 to lift enough water for two acres, one foot high, as 

 for one acre, one foot high. It will also require twice 

 as much water to complete the irrigation if the defi- 

 ciency of rain fall is ten inches as it will if the defi- 

 ciency is only five inches. 



The system of irrigation by means of pumping 

 plants has been so simplified in this country that in 

 the states of Louisiana and Texas thousands upon 

 thousands of acres grown to sugar cane and rice are 

 irrigated entirely by pumping plants. In California 

 many of the great fruit farms, and not a few of the 

 grain farms, are irrigated by pumping plants. It was 

 during the dry season of last year (1901) that the 

 need for irrigation was felt by the farmers over such 

 a large area of this country. The field crops were gen- 

 erally cut short and gardens were nearly or quite de- 

 stroyed, arid the fruit crop, also, was very generally 



injured by the drouth. The loss of vegetables and fruit 

 would have been prevented by the use of pumping 

 plants, and the loss sustained from failure of fruits 

 and vegetables in the year 1901 would have gone a long 

 ways toward the cost of enough pumping plants to hare 

 made such failure impossible. As a result of last year's 

 drouth, and lack of means to irrigate and save the 

 vegetable and fruit crops, these articles of food were 

 extremely scarce and very high in price; so much so, 

 that while large importations of them were made from 

 foreign countries, still the great mass of people did 

 not enjoy as much as could have been economically con- 

 sumed. It is to emphasize the value of irrigation 

 as applied to small areas, such as gardens and orchards, 

 that this article is written. 



It may be said that the Germanic races, which in- 

 clude Americans, look upon irrigation as something 

 needed to insure crops in the arid section of the coun- 



1RRIGATION MILL AND RESERVOIR. 



try, but o'f no value elsewhere, and forget that aridity 

 and dryness are synonymous terms. Large sections east 

 of the Missouri river became arid last year (1901); 

 so dry that all vegetation withered and died. For the 

 time being the area of aridity had enlarged to enor- 

 mous proportions and the same system of insuring the 

 crops in Colorado, Arizona and California would have 

 insured the crops in Missouri and Illinois. But to 

 insure success in any new undertaking it is necessary 

 to begin in a small way, and as experience is gained, 

 increase the operations. 



As the vegetable gardens and orchards contribute 

 so much of the necessaries of life, prudence suggests 

 that to guard against injury or failure from drouths 

 an irrigation plant of sufficient capacity should be in- 

 stalled by every farmer. The time to do this is when 

 conditions are favorable. Some preparation must first 

 be made and the necessary means provided. It is not 

 prudent to delay until the drouth comes, but in time 

 of good opportunity provide the irrigation plant. 



Once having become familiar with irrigation, from 

 its use in the garden and orchard, it could be easily 

 extended to the field crops, by increasing the capacity 

 of the plant. There is no better nor more economical 

 power than the wind mill for operating sc pump for 

 raising water for irrigation. Many farmers already own 

 one or more wind mills and by making a reservoir to 

 store the water, could, without much cost, irrigate their 



