SOILS, FERTILIZERS AND IRRIGATION 71 



will amount to another $1.00 for each 6-inch irrigation, or $5.00 per acre 

 per season. Thus the total irrigation cost will amount to about $10 per 

 acre per season. One should expect at least 5 tons to the acre of alfalfa 

 per season, which will give a gross return of $50. Deducting $10, for 

 irrigation costs, $40 remains to be divided between field attendance, har- 

 vesting costs and profit. The 75 horsepower crude oil engine costs about 

 $3500 and the No. 7 pump may be obtained for about $400. Probably a 

 simpler and cheaper way would be to build a reservoir at the highest 

 point to be irrigated. A smaller crude oil engine and smaller pump, 

 which can be run continually, may then be used. Thus 24 hours' pumping 

 will afford 12 hours' irrigation at a nominal cost for fuel, fixed charges 

 and attendance. The smaller plant will give a proportionally higher cost 

 for fuel consumption, but the cost of attendance can be greatly reduced. 

 The area to be irrigated and the amount of water to be applied through 

 the season will control the economy of raising water 100 feet for alfalfa 

 production. The amount of water to be pumped, or the height it is to 

 be lifted, is simply a question of power, and, in this case, cheap power. 

 Alfalfa should have at least 30 acre inches of water per season. To put 

 a depth of 2 feet of water on one acre, it takes a flow of 450 U. S. gallons 

 per minute for 24 hours, irrespective of losses by seepage, which is very 

 important. Knowing the acreage, one can figure the number of days re- 

 quired to cover a field to a given depth. From this the cost per acre may 

 be figured. Hotter & Rogers, San Francisco. 



Who Owns Underground Water? 



/ bought land, the deed of which says that I have only the use for 

 domestic purposes of any of the waters arising on or flowing through 

 or over the property, and the company has the right to the water's 

 uninterrupted flow through and over the property. Can I dig a well 

 and pump for irrigation? 



Many lands have been subdivided and sold in small tracts with the 

 reservation that all waters, either surface or underground, on or under 

 such land, shall remain the property of the original company, with the 

 exception that the purchaser may use water for domestic and irrigation 

 purposes on the tract purchased. From his account it seems that the 

 writer above is given the right to use water for domestic purposes only. 

 The deed will have to be inspected in order to ascertain his right to de- 

 velop underground water. He has title only to what the deed conveys. 



Running Ditches Across Others' Land. 



I own a pumping plant and can sell water provided I can get it across 

 intervening property. Can the owner of this intervening property stop 

 me from running the ditch if I pay him a reasonable price for the 

 privilege ? 



By statute adopted in 1913, anyone distributing water to land not 

 owned by himself must be considered a public utility and subject to regu- 

 lation by the California Railroad Commission. Being in public service, 

 the owner of such a system would have the right to condemn a right-of- 



