1902. 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



131 



erate size, are placed around a resen^oir 

 of considerable size. The banks, made 

 of earth, are covered with sod to protect 

 them from washing by the rain and 

 by the waves during times of high 

 winds. 



The drawing of the steel windmill and 

 tower carrying a tank represents an 

 adaptation of a windmill for use in 

 domestic water supph^ or for furnishing 

 water to a village or small town under 

 -considerable pressure. The wind en- 

 gine is erected on the top of a high steel 

 tower, which also svipports a wooden 

 tank with suitable cover to protect the 

 water from loss by evaporation. This 



The merit of the device is its cheapness. 

 It may be built mainly of old lumber 

 and other material that can often be 

 found about the farm, such as axles or 

 other gear from old farm machinery, 

 bale wire for staying the sails, and 

 pieces of wood or metal which may be 

 classed as old junk. The machine can- 

 not be recommended on the ground of 

 efficiency or economy. If a farmer has 

 sufficient capital to purchase and erect 

 a good windmill, he will undoubtedly 

 succeed better than by spending his 

 time in making the cheaper device. On 

 the other hand, in situations where, as 

 is often the case in a dry region, the 



WINDMII^LS AND CIRCULAR RESERVOIR. 



-device is generall}- employed by railroad 

 -companies at stations on the great 

 plains, where the wind may be de- 

 pended upon to force a sufficient supply 

 into the tank for use by locomotives or 

 for the railroad shops and offices. Many 

 towns also depend for their water supply 

 for domestic needs and for watering 

 gardens upon a windmill pumping water 

 into an elevated tank, particularly where 

 the general surface is so nearly level 

 that it is impossible to construct a small 

 earth reservoir within reasonable dis- 

 tance of the principal buildings. 



The home-made mill, or Jumbo wind 

 engine, has been employed to a consid- 

 erable extent in the Great Plains region, 

 and is usually constructed b}- the owners. 



farmer has lost crops year after year, 

 has exhausted his resources, and is on 

 the verge of bankruptcy, a contrivance 

 of this kind may serve to save a small 

 crop and give him a new start. In 

 such instances there usually will be 

 found pieces of broken-down machiner}^ 

 about the farm. Time and labor are 

 commonly of little value where the or- 

 dinary farming operations have been 

 unsuccessful, so that by the exercise of 

 a little ingenuity the material and en- 

 ergy that otherwise would be wasted 

 ma}^ be turned to advantage. 



The mill or engine consists of a shaft 

 of wood or iron placed horizontally and 

 supported at each end. Upon this sails 

 are fastened by arms extending out at 



