356 IRRIGATION FARMING. 



Buying a Windmill. — In seledling a windmill 

 the first point to look at is the age and standing of 

 the firm making the article. There is no class of ma- 

 chinery that should be investigated with more care 

 than a windmill. Examine the machine offered and 

 see that it is well built. See that the ironwork is 

 heavy and substantial, the wheel well braced, the 

 journals well babitted, the fans securely fastened to 

 the arms, and that the vane or tail is supported by 

 means of a truss brace. In f a<5l, see that it is not a sham , 

 made to sell and not to work. It must be safe to 

 stand through the heaviest storm. Its strength and 

 apparent construction for durability should be the 

 standard of its worth. The lowest machine in price is 

 not often the cheapest machine to buy. 



A first-class windmill should, with a fair amount of 

 care, do good service for twenty to twenty-five years 

 with a very small amount of expense for repairs. Some 

 of the oldest manufadlurers can refer to their work that 

 has been in constant service for a longer time than that 

 mentioned. Remember that the tower, pump, tank, 

 etc., that go to make up a complete outfit, all cost as 

 much for a poor, unreliable mill as for a good one. A 

 modern idea is to have an all-steel plant, and this is quite 

 an item for the consideration of those living in the arid 

 regions, where the climate is exceedingly severe on all 

 woodwork. Be sure to get a mill strong enough to do 

 the heaviest work in a light wind, and do not expedl 

 a ten-foot wheel to do the work of a fourteen-foot 

 wheel. 



There are innumerable designs in patented wind- 

 mills, and the buyer will have to use his bCvSt judgment 



